


Song in a Painting of the Crimson Moon

by TiRaven (Estirose)



Category: Kamen Rider Kiva
Genre: Alternate Universe, Genderbending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-25
Updated: 2013-10-08
Packaged: 2017-12-06 10:48:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/734813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/TiRaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Taiga's half-sister, Wataru's fate is to be his Queen. But she isn't precisely keen on that, and will do anything to stop it. Onesided Taiga/female!Wataru.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The universe that this is set in is some ways different from canon. This Wataru knows what she is, though she didn't find out until she was a teenager. Maya is dead. Oomura is still alive. There are Elders, in fact a council of them that advise the Checkmate Four. King is chosen differently than in canon. And King and Queen are _very_ sexually active. If this sounds familiar to some folks, it's because I'm using a universe developed for a character in the LJ comm kamendressing.
> 
> Started for NaNoWriMo 2008, WIP.

Wataru's world shattered when her mother did. The scene had played in her mind a million times, with her mother walking calmly away from the house, facing her executioner, fighting and being killed. And during the whole thing, the teenager had watched. Her mother had turned glassy, died in a shower of multicolored shards.

She had picked up the shards, stored them away. The shards of her mother sat in a box by her father's violin in the display cabinet of the workshop, the only thing she had of him. She at least had her mother's remains; her father's, if any, were in some place unknown to her.

"Wataru-chan?"

She blinked and returned her focus to Oomura-san who was standing over at the table, waiting patiently for her. Oomura-san was an amazing man and at least an adequate parent figure, and it wasn't his fault that he was what he was.

Besides, she owed him so much for taking her in and teaching her as much as he did.

"Sorry, Oomura-san," she said, returning to the table of the atelier. The atelier, the violin workshop, was at the top floor of the house. It looked out over her combination living room and dining room, and if she went downstairs, was where the nook of her bed was. Below her bed were under-bed cabinets where she kept her clothes. It was a tidy little arrangement, and she liked it that way.

Her left palm itched, and she scratched it before returning to the table and to a violin that was being set and waiting for the glue to dry. She was grateful that Oomura-san would be the one to return it to the woman; had she been tasked with the job, she would have likely tried to kill the woman. If she could. The supposed college professor had been one of those indirectly responsible for the murder of Wataru's mother, and Oomura-san knew that too, thus he was taking the violin back instead of her. "Besides," he'd said, "If you get too close, she'll probably know what you are."

She liked Oomura-san. Oomura-san who kept her from ruining her chances at getting revenge for her mother's death, who told her what she needed to know about her heritage and why her mother had died. He had apparently been ordered by her mother to keep that part of her ancestry secret, but thankfully, he hadn't listened to her mother. Well, he probably would have, had he not come upon her, cradling the box with her mother's remains and crying. And then - against his better judgement, he'd said later - he'd told her everything.

"It's all right," Oomura-san said. "I'd just like to make sure that violin is perfect so that we don't have to deal with her for the next few decades." She could tell that he was joking, and smiled humorlessly. She knew she couldn't kill the woman, just like she couldn't bring her mother's killers to justice. But it was a pleasant thought, a pleasant dream.

"You sure we can't poison it?" she asked. "Make her really sick?" She knew that the woman couldn't be killed that way, but she still wanted to do something. Something that would cause the woman pain.

"Do you really want to call attention to yourself?" he asked. "If she gets sick, she'll come back here. If she comes back here, you might be here. And if you're here and she's here, then there's always the risk that she'll know what you are." He checked over the violin he was working on. "The last thing you want is an Elder getting near you. I know that at least two decided to visit shortly after your mother died, and if they'd found you...."

"Death," she said gloomily. "Death to the little half-breed Royal."

"Or worse," he said. "They could have accepted you. Your mother definitely didn't want that."

Wataru nodded. "I know. I wouldn't have let them."

"If they'd taken you to Dran," Oomura-san said, "You wouldn't have had a choice."

She shivered. Of course Oomura-san was right. She'd be brought up to be what she hated, and if she resisted... well, she'd probably have been killed. Or worse. As it was, she still could be found and imprisoned in the castle to be held until they were sure she was useless.

Better to remain out of sight, be prepared just in case an opportunity came. She scratched her palm once more, returning to her work.

Really, she never wanted to stop making violins. Making violins was what her mother had wanted her to do. Her mother had wanted her to be normal, human, had raised her that way. If it hadn't been for Oomura-san, and what she'd seen, she would have gone through life ignorant of what she was.

But knowing what she was didn't make things much better. She knew fully well why her mother had died, and how. Who had been there when she had been killed. But Wataru was more human than not, at least power-wise, and so there was little she could do to take revenge on those responsible for the death of her mother. Even if she trained, she didn't have the power; she could have had it, but her mother had cut her off from that choice. And a Royal half-breed indistinguishable from a human was certainly not powerful enough to go after a creature who could drain her without much effort, and gladly would.

"I hate being powerless," she complained as she worked, applying violin varnish to a violin that she was working on. "I hate not being able to do anything."

"Maybe it's for the best," Oomura-san soothed. "You're being what your mother wanted you to be. That should be all that matters."

"Wataru," Kivat, her bat-shaped companion said, echoing the man's words, "Your mother sacrificed much so that you could live in peace."

"I know," she said. "It's just... I can't solve anything here. I can't hurt her killers. I'm stuck being me."

"Maybe," Kivat said, "That is the best revenge."

He didn't want her hurt, she knew that. And Oomura-san loved her like a daughter, she knew that too. Between the two of them, she should have been happy.

But the image of her mother shattering into pieces, of the one known as Bishop delivering the death blow, of the teenage boy, the King-to-be standing there and letting her mother be killed even though he knew that mother was his mother as well....

Oomura-san wanted her to be safe, she knew, and making violins was a pretty safe endeavor. He was the one who went out a lot, got the supplies, unless he was busy. Her mother had been the same way; as a girl, Wataru hadn't gone to play with kids too much.

She had never even been to school. Her mother had taught her arts and reading and all of the important things she needed to know. If that included parts of her nonhuman ancestry, her Fangire heritage, Wataru didn't know.

As far as Wataru was concerned, the only kind Fangire were Oomura-san and her mother. Her mother had hunted criminals, and Oomura-san had done the same, as little as possible. The rest of the Fangire could go to hell, feeding on humans as if they were cattle, ending human lives at their cruel whim. Oomura-san said that he and her mother had once been the same way, but as far as she was concerned, they'd both made it up to the universe.

If Wataru could hunt the Fangire, she would. But she was powerless against them. There was no way a human could go against a Fangire and win; the human would die, their life energy sucked out of them, a meal for their opponent. Oomura-san had said that her mom had done certain rituals when she was a baby, to protect her from detection, but it had also taken away what little power she did have from her Fangire heritage.

Oomura-san walked over to her. "Your mother wanted you to be safe, Wataru. That's all that matters. If I'd known you would have obsessed over this, I wouldn't have told you."

"She was my mother, Oomura-san," Wataru said, swinging around to face her mentor. "I had a right to know." Blinking back a tear, she remembered what it had been like the day her mother had died.

_5 years earlier...._

"Wataru," her mother said, looking down at the garden, "There's some business that I need to attend to."

Wataru nodded as she shaped the piece of wood that would ultimately become part of a new violin. "Will it be long?"

Her mother smiled. "I hope not. But if it does, you can take care of the shop."

Wataru nodded, still working on the wood. Behind her, her mother spoke softly to Kivat, her mother's constant companion, and went down the stairs, closing the stairwell door behind her.

Finishing bending the wood for the moment, Wataru put it down to allow it to set. She moved to look out the window to check out their visitors when Kivat swooped in front of her.

"This is your mother's business," he said. She could have easily swatted him away, but she instead just stared at him. "Please, Wataru, just go back to your work."

"But Mom...." Wataru objected. "It's just a peek, Kivat. And I'll be behind the curtains; nobody could see me." Her mother didn't always want her to meet her guests, and she was a mysterious person sometimes.

"No, Wataru," Kivat said firmly. But Wataru wasn't listening. She caught Kivat and held him to prevent him from interfering. After all, she was safe behind the curtains. Nobody would see her there. And she would know what was going on.

Peering through the gauzy curtain, she could see her mother cross the courtyard and meet the two at the gate. One was a man in a black outfit with a white scarf, while the other was a teenage boy, maybe a year or so older than Wataru, in a red shirt and blue jeans, wearing a glove on his left hand.

She wondered if that was a popular thing, because the little boy who had saved her from bullies wore a glove on only one hand too. She didn't remember any other people doing it.

Her mother opened the gate, spoke briefly to the man in the white scarf, tried to embrace the teenager before he pushed her off. Then they were gone, walking towards the park, and she was aware that Kivat was struggling in her hand. "I've got to see what's going on," she said.

"Your mother would be unhappy," Kivat said, "If you weren't doing your work."

"Screw my work," she said, brushing off the words. "This is a chance to know more about my mother."

The violin she was working on would not be ruined, and the one her mother had been working on was clamped up and drying. She headed downstairs, to the back exit, where her mother wouldn't think to look for her. By the time she padded out the back entrance and locked it, of course, they had disappeared out of sight, but Wataru knew the neighborhood and it was easy to catch a glimpse of them, Kivat following sullenly behind her.

She followed the trio through the park to one of the more private spots. She and her mother had played hide-and-go-seek multiple times there when she was a little girl, and she knew all the good hiding spots. Her mother faced the man in black, while the teenager stood nearby.

Suddenly, markings appeared on her mother's face, and then her form blurred and shifted. In her place was a reddish-purple *monster*, and Wataru had to cram her fist into her mouth to not let anybody know that she was there. The man in black and white shifted as well, to a similar form, one both butterfly-like and swanlike, and hefted a weapon. To her surprise, the teenager just stood there, not shifting form at all.

Then the monsters started fighting each other. To her surprise, despite the bulky-looking form, her mother was rather agile. The man was no lightweight either, though he seemed better built for dodging and defense rather than offense. The two monsters seemed like they were well-matched, though her mother was better on the offensive than the man.

This went on for what seemed like forever in a few seconds, until the slimmer monster - the man - hit her mom with a beam of blueish light after slamming her across the clearing. "Goodbye, *Queen*," he said, shimmering back to human form.

Her mother did not reply, the monster form glassy and multi-colored. A few seconds after the man's words, her mother's form collapsed into shards in the grass. Wataru stuffed her hand further into her mouth so that the man and the teenager would not find her. If the man had just blown up her mother, who could turn into a monster and fight, he could certainly kill her just as easily.

The man in black turned to the teenager. "Now you will have a proper Queen to be with, my King, when both of your powers awaken." He put a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "You know the error of your mother's ways and I know you will guide your Queen not to repeat them."

The teenager nodded. "It had to be done," the teenager said, snorting. "She was a traitor to her own kind, a lover of humans. It was a shame it took so long to find her and destroy her."

"Yes, it is a shame. But... it is done. Maybe your Queen will awaken soon." The man smiled, a creepy smile by Wataru's estimates, and patted the young man on the shoulder. He then moved to the pile of shards that once was Wataru's mother, leaving Wataru to stare at the teenager who seemed to be unaware of her presence. King? What was he King of? Queen? What had her mother been Queen of? And if the teenager had been her mother's son, that made him at least her half-brother, if not full.

Her half-brother and the black-and-white man had killed her family. Well, the man did, but the teenager, the King, had stood there, not stopped him, knowing that his mother was the one being killed.

The man in black and white retrieved something from the pile, and displayed it to the King. "There's nothing here for us now," he said.

The two of them walked from the clearing. Wataru just stared, hand still jammed into mouth, until it was likely that the two were gone. She stared at Kivat, who hovered behind her. "What happened?"

"Something your mother would have never wanted you to see," Kivat intoned.

"But... but mom...." she stared at the shards in the clearing. "What was I supposed to do, worry about her when she never showed up again?"

"She didn't want you to be part of this world," Kivat said. "You have to forget, Wataru. She's dead. That doesn't mean your life is."

"It feels like it," she said. "Kivat, what did he mean by King? Queen? What does my mother have to do with all of this?"

"It's not important, Wataru," Kivat said. "It's something that your mother stepped away from so that you could have a normal life. Honor your mother's intentions. Go home, pretend this didn't ever happen." He patted her on the shoulder with a wing.

She ignored him, unrolling the scarf that she always kept around her neck. "I won't forget. I never will forget."

Gathering as many shards as she could in her scarf, she went home.

When she got there, she suddenly realized she didn't know what to do. Her mother was in little glass pieces, her fingers were bleeding, and she was now alone, even with Kivat there. She washed the fingers, applied bandages, and stared at the glass shards despondently, finally putting them in a box she found.

And then the doorbell rang.

Glancing out the window, she saw Oomura-san, one of her mother's friends, a friend of her father's before he became her mother's. She'd forgotten that he was going to come by, and her mother wasn't there to receive him.

So she went downstairs, bandaged fingers and all, and went to the gate. "Oomura-san! Thank goodness you're here!"

"Wataru-chan?" Oomura-san asked, confused. "What happened?"

"My mother, she's...." Then Wataru shut up for a moment. "Let's go inside."

She lead the confused violin maker up to the workroom. "My mother," she said again.

"Wataru-chan, where's your mother?" Oomura-san asked. "Did she disappear?"

Wataru pointed wordlessly at the box full of glass shards. "Mom."

"She saw," Kivat clarified. The bat flapped around the room as if unsure what to do.

"Oomura-san, what's going on?" Wataru asked. "Please tell me." Oomura-san had to know, from what Kivat had said. Something was being kept from her, something important, and she had to know what it was.

Oomura-san looked at the bat, and then Wataru, and then at the bat. "But I promised her mother...."

"As did I," Kivat said. "But she saw the Queen and Bishop. Fighting."

"In true form?" Oomura asked, paling.

"My mom is dead," Wataru said, pointing at the shards.

"This is not a conversation I ever wanted to have with Maya-sama and Otoya-san's daughter," Oomura told Kivat. "She's not even supposed to know! Order of the Queen...."

"The Queen's dead," Wataru pointed out. "My mom is *dead*."

"She's not going to be able to let it go until she knows," Kivat said with a sigh.

"We can't convince her that she dreamed it?" the violinmaker asked the mechanical-looking bat.

"We might," Kivat allowed. He flapped to one side, as if to be out of reach.

"I'm right here," Wataru pointed out. "My mother is dead. Someone please tell me what is going on."

"At least she's dead so she can't kill me," Oomura-san said. "Wataru-chan, let's go downstairs. I don't know about you, but I could use some tea."

Wataru nodded mechanically, plodding down the stairs and mechanically walking into the kitchen. She put the kettle on and prepared Oomura-san's favorite tea variety - had to be considerate towards guests, after all - and set out two mugs with a snack or two.

She then walked out tray in hands, setting it down at the table, serving Oomura-san, and then sitting down herself. "So, Oomura-san, what is going on and why was it so important to hide from me?"

Oomura-san sighed. "Have you ever heard the term 'Fangire'?" he asked.

Wataru tossed the term around, and finally shook her head. "No, why?"

"Because your mother, myself, you partly... are Fangire." Oomura-san fiddled with the finger sandwich she'd made.

"I saw my mom become a monster," Wataru said, remembering her mother's change. "What are Fangire?"

"We're not human," Oomura-san said. "Humans are our prey. They provide us with the life energy we need to live. We're not the only species that does that, we just happen to be the one that's thriving. You saw your mother's true form today, Wataru-chan."

Wataru pictured the form. Oddly enough, since it was her mother, it didn't seem so horrible. "She was beautiful," she said. "But humans are food to you?"

Oomura-san nodded. "I promised your father I wouldn't kill humans. I couldn't quite hold to that promise, so I attempt to honor it by killing as few as possible, and those that need that mercy. Your mother was the same way." He looked at his tea. "Your father was a good man, Wataru-chan."

Nodding, Wataru watched him closely. "So am I Fangire? Or am I human?"

"Both, and neither," Oomura-san said. "But your mother suppressed your Fangire blood through a ritual called Ritual Obscurement - which leaves you more or less a human for all intents and purposes. She wanted to honor what your father was and also, to keep you safe."

"I remember you and Mom talking about it." She doubted that either her mother nor Oomura-san had realized she was there. "You disagreed."

"Part of me wants you safe," Oomura-san said. "The other part of me... well, you are - were - in line for your mother's position as Queen. It bothered me to circumvent the natural way." He smiled briefly. "For two weeks of your life, maybe a month, you were the most likely candidate for Queen. But the Obscurement stopped that."

"The Obscurement made me human," Wataru-san realized.

"For all intents and purposes," Oomura-san agreed. "Loving humans is forbidden, punishable by death. That is part of the Queen's duties. But as your mother found out, love doesn't care what species you are. She fell for your father and became a traitor under our law. Most Fangire consider loving a human like a human would consider loving a pet in the romantic way. By our laws, you shouldn't even exist. And for you to be in line for the throne...."

"In other words, I could be Queen, but everybody would hate me," Wataru said, looking down. "I'd be a living example of a Queen breaking the law." He mother had wanted her to be better, much better, so she had been raised as a human. It made so much sense. Oomura-san's kind, her mother's people, they were so much less than humans, and yet they thought they were more.

So much more.

"Your mother said that if they found you before you were a teenager, they'd kill you," he said, taking a sip of the tea as if it would make things easier. "If a teenager on, they'd try to groom you for the throne. And if you weren't the Queen... then you'd die."

Wataru shivered. "That's why the Obscurement." To keep her safe, to keep her hidden.

Oomura-san nodded. "I wouldn't have known you have Fangire blood without touching you. An Elder, or one of the Checkmate Four - more or less our rulers - might be able to tell from several feet, but the average Fangire couldn't. Your mother says that it also keeps you from becoming Queen."

Nodding, Wataru took a sip of the tea. "The Checkmate Four?"

"King, Queen, Bishop, Rook," Oomura-san said. "The King keeps humans from being a threat to the Fangire. The Queen executes traitors. Bishop keeps an eye on Fangire society and prepares the traitor lists for Queen. Rook protects the other three. King and Queen are chosen by unknown means from Fangire with royal bloodlines, with their children having the greatest chance to inherit the titles. Bishop, it sounds like, executed your mother, and the King-to-be watched."

"The King-to-be," Wataru said dully. "She was his mother, too. Why did he allow her to die?"

"Because he was no doubt told that it was right, and that what your mother did was a crime. The ultimate crime," Oomura-san told her. "Don't blame him for following the law of our kind."

"I'm glad I'm human then," Wataru said. "So, I have to be careful of these Checkmate Four?"

"And the Elders, and touching other Fangire," Oomura-san said. "Though if your life is in danger, do touch common Fangire. It might save your life."

Wataru nodded. "I will." She took a deep breath. "But otherwise, I will be human." She looked over at Oomura-san, tears finally falling after the shock and numbness of the revelations. "But Oomura-san, what do I do about my mother's remains?"

Oomura-san smiled. "We'll put them in a box, and give your mother the respect she deserves. I owe your mother that much."

Nodding shakily once more, Wataru sniffled.

That night, after Oomura-san had gone, Wataru swore that someday she would hurt Bishop and King for what they'd done to her mother, whose only crime was love. She didn't care if it was Fangire law, it was barbaric and she would do something about it.

_Present day_

"Wataru-chan," Oomura-san said patiently, "Trying to kill - even killing the King and Bishop would not bring your mother back. It would just prove that you are what they are."

"But I am what they are," Song pointed out, staring at the stairway. "I'm a Fangire Royal."

"No, you're not," Oomura-san said. "You're Kurenai Wataru, and you're going to be the best violin maker."

Wataru sighed. "You're right," she said. "I still want someday for something to happen to them... but right now it seems like it'll never happen."

Kivat flapped over to her. "Some things just aren't meant to be."

"Maybe they are meant to be," Wataru said, "And I just haven't found a way yet."

But she let Oomura-san deliver the violin back to the Fangire Elder, and she didn't do anything to it. Her mother would probably be proud of her.

As the days passed, though, she noticed Oomura-san becoming more infrequent, leaving the running of the shop up to her. Some days, he barely came, some days he was out in minutes. It was strange to have him trust her with the running of everything. She put on gloves, knowing that Oomura-san wasn't there to tell her if her customers were Fangire or not.

Finally, she'd had enough.

"Oomura-san," she said, "Not that I don't appreciate your confidence in me, but are you sure you want to leave me running the shop?"

Oomura-san looked over at her. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Well," Wataru said, "If I wasn't wearing the gloves, I could run across a Fangire customer by accident. And what if it's an Elder, or one of the Checkmate Four?"

"Your half-brother unfortunately did not inherit your mother's love of the arts and music," Oomura-san said wryly. "Rook's not interested in such things, and Bishop goes for organ music, not the violin. There's one Elder that plays, and I made sure that her violin was in good working order."

Wataru nodded. "So, I'm safe. More or less." Human, unlikely to be revealed as anything else. Someone who could someday get revenge, if she figured out how.

"It's past time for you to be taking over anyway," Oomura-san said. "This was always meant to be your shop, not mine. You know the trade. You know how to make violins. You're old enough to be on your own, and you don't need me to be here for you." He smiled gently. "Besides, with me gone, you lessen the chances of running across a Fangire customer."

Nodding again, Wataru picked up a half-finished violin, then nearly dropped it as her left palm itched fiercely. She scratched it, not daring to look at how bad her hand was getting.

"And you also lessen the chances of ever losing the protection your mother put on you," Oomura said. "When I visited the Elder with her violin, she told me King, Nobori Taiga, had awakened. That Queen should awaken soon. I'd rather not tempt fate and make you lose the Obscurement."

"Why would I lose it?" Wataru asked, mystified. "I'm all but human. I'm not in line for Queen anymore."

She didn't want to be Queen. She didn't want to be a monster, become one in spirit.

"I made some inquiries," Oomura-san said, "With that Elder. It turns out that being near me for the last few years could have affected what your mother did to keep you safe. Until the Queen is found, I'd rather not risk you picking up your mother's position."

"I wouldn't take it if I did," Wataru said coldly. "I'm not going to be part of a group that killed my mother."

"Wataru," Oomura-san said, "If you for some reason do become Queen, you become Queen. You can't fight it. And even if you do fight it, the King will not - and he will not stop until he finds you. Bishop will be looking too."

Snorting, Wataru said, "Good luck finding some human who spends her days in a violin shop."

"Bishop is not stupid," Oomura-san warned. "And the King has good reason to search for his Queen if she doesn't come to him. The Elders will be looking too." He looked too. "And if you are Queen, it would be against my instincts to keep you hidden. Your mother knew it too; if the Obscurement failed, she would have wanted you to be with your King." He stared at the inset cabinet with her father's violin and her mother's remains. "King and Queen belong together."

"Then isn't it best that I'm not going to be Queen?" she asked. "Don't worry, Oomura-san. I'm sure that the Obscurement will keep me safe."

Oomura-san nodded. "But I'm still going to stay away. I don't want to tempt fate."

"Thank you, Oomura-san," she said. "I'll try to live up to your greatness."

Oomura-san smiled, and headed out the door. She heard him close the downstairs door, and then she watched him leave.

"Well, Kivat," she said, scratching her palm again, "If Oomura-san is going to trust me with the shop, I'd better prove that I'm worthy of it." She was not going to be Queen, and someday Oomura-san would realize that too. She wasn't going to become one of the monsters who had executed her mother. "But first, I'd better put some salve on that palm."

She went downstairs to the first-aid box, getting some salve and bandages out. She had work to do, and she wasn't going to get it done just standing there.

Looking down at her palm, she realized that it wasn't red. At least not much. But it did have a black pattern - a tattoo, almost - in the center of it.

"Let me see," Kivat commanded, and she held out her palm, taking a look at it too. The tattoo in her palm was black and red, a chess piece, stylized with a rose at the bottom, and the text. The text that read "Queen."

A few moments of silence reigned before Kivat spoke again. "We're doomed."

“Is that the Queen’s Mark?” she asked, but it couldn’t be anything else. “Does that mean that what Mom did-“  
  
“The ritual was for naught,” Kivat said. “You are the Queen.”  
  
“So, what do I do now?” Wataru asked.  
  
“Well,” Kivat said gently, “You could always accept Queen’s role.”  
  
“I’m not going to be part of the group that murdered my mother,” Wataru said, mentally gritting her teeth. She’d said that before, but it bore repeating.  
  
“By Fangire law,” Kivat said, “It was not murder, and they will not see it that way.” He flapped in front of her. “And by law, you are now Queen. You will be expected to carry out your duties – including marrying King.”  
  
“The King is my half-brother,” Wataru said dully. “I’m sure even they wouldn’t require us to marry.”  
  
“The Fangire allow incestuous marriages when it comes to King and Queen,” Kivat said, “Because of the way the Marks work, they don’t have a choice. The King and Queen have a desire to be with each other in order to insure the next generation. The best that the Fangire can do is forbid second children of the King and Queen.”  
  
“I have absolutely no desire to be with my half-brother.” Wataru looked up at the hovering Kivat. “There will be no next generation.”  
  
“The pull will be stronger than you think,” Kivat warned. “He’ll feel it too. If nothing else, you might not feel like you have to be with him, but he will feel like he needs to be with you. And his pull is stronger than yours – now that you’re awake, he will be looking for you, and he will not stop until he finds you. You might hate him, but you’ll have no choice in the matter.”  
  
“He won't find me,” Wataru said softly. “I won't let him. There's got to be a way.” She curled her hand over the Mark.  
  
“Wataru,” Kivat said, “The former King and Bishop both knew the name of Kurenai Otoya. While they won't like it very much, it is possible that either of them could realize that the Queen might be the former Queen's child. Just because you weren't technically supposed to be born doesn't mean that you weren't, and if the Queen doesn't seem to be coming to King, they will start looking.”  
  
“And Oomura-san would probably tell them I exist,” Wataru said. The man had made it clear that if she was Queen, she should be with her King – and that probably meant bringing her to King's or Bishop's attention. Or even that Elder whose violin needed repairing. She shivered, remembering how she'd wanted the Elder to be sick, and how Oomura-san had warned her not to. He'd been wiser than she'd thought. But he'd still turn her in, if he had a chance.  
  
“Not unless he was sure you were Queen,” Kivat said. “I think he would have done it. In fact, I'm sure your mother would have told him to do so in such a contingency. She told me that in case she failed that I was to encourage you to go to Taiga, your King.”  
  
“My mom would encourage me to go to one of her murderers?” Wataru asked. “Why? Why would she want me to go to her killers?” She felt tears, wiped the corners of her eyes.  
  
“Because despite everything, she knew the attraction between Queen and King, and she would have wanted both you and Taiga to be happy.” He patted her on the shoulder with a wing. “She knew what it was like to be Queen; she knew what you could be facing. For whatever reason the Obscurement failed, it failed and you have to live with it.”  
  
“So, he can find me now?” Wataru asked. “Even with the Obscurement? Or has that totally failed?”  
  
“I don't know, Wataru,” Kivat said. “But I do know that as time passes, he will become more and more desperate to find you. To not find you would mean his death as well as yours.” He flapped in place for a moment. “I think you should know that if King and Queen find each other, you'll have no choice but to consummate the relationship. The longer you wait, the more violent and desperate the consummation will be.”  
  
"Rape, you mean?" Wataru asked softly.  
  
"Exactly," Kivat said. "Not that you'll care when he touches you. Your mother hated her King, but she still desired him sexually."  
  
“Then I just won't be found,” Wataru said firmly. “It would be a long and agonizing death, wouldn't it?”  
  
“For both him and you,” Kivat confirmed. “It is not an easy road you're proposing to take, Wataru. You'll have to resist your own desires as well as escape him... and keep in mind that, as I mentioned, eventually someone will remember the name of your mother's lover and realize that their Queen might have had an illegitimate second heir with him. Remember that Bishop knew where she had been living... he might choose to pay a visit.”  
  
“With luck, he'll find nothing but a human violinmaker of no use to him,” Wataru said. “I can't be read, remember?”  
  
“He would be powerful enough,” Kivat said grimly. “And I have no doubts that if he wasn't sure, he would bring your King to you to see how the two of you would react.”  
  
“I'm not going to be Queen, Kivat,” Wataru said. “And he deserves to die. He's killed one Queen; what's one more?” Of course, killing her mother had obviously not killed him, but she wasn't going to make things easy for him.  
  
"To the King, to be paired with his proper Queen is important to him," Kivat said. "You are Taiga's proper Queen. Therefore, he will be looking for you."  
  
Wataru ran a hand through her hair. "So, what can I do to minimize his chances of finding me?"  
  
"You'll have to hope the Obscurement keeps working," Kivat said, "Never leave the house, and hope that Bishop doesn't make the connection."  
  
"But I have to leave the house, for supplies!" Wataru exclaimed. "I need to find out as much as possible. I should pump Oomura-san for information and not let him know I'm the missing Queen. The more I know, the better I can avoid King."  
  
"And Bishop," Kivat reminded her. "Bishop will be looking too."  
  
"And Bishop," Wataru said grimly. "Him too." So, she had to use Oomura-san, keep him from finding out that she was Queen, and avoid the King and Bishop. At least they were only two people.  
  
"But you can't not live," Kivat said. "Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to be a total hermit. And now, with being Queen, you are going to feel restless inside. Because King isn't here."  
  
"I'll live with it," Wataru said grimly. "I can order things."  
  
"And then you will become impatient with the delivery service and go and get them yourself," Kivat pointed out. "Your body wants to be with King."  
  
"Well, my body can go fuck itself off, then," Song said. "I refuse to-"  
  
"Listen to your body," Kivat finished. "I know. I just hope that you're making the right choice, Wataru."  
  
"I am," Wataru said firmly, and then started looking for some salve.  
  
She ended up not only with salve, but with a couple of pairs of fingerless and regular gloves. With renewed energy, she kept at work with her violins, though she was, as Kivat predicted, drawn to go out. She found that being in the fresh air helped, though being outside in the sun helped even more. So she took up reading - her mother a fan of fine literature as well as other arts - as a way of not actually leaving the gates of her house.  
  
But mostly, she stayed inside. Inside was safe. Inside did not have a King lurking about, ready to pounce on her and make her like he was - a killer. Of course, she would kill him, eventually, through their own biology, but that was the only killing that she would ever do. And then she would die anyway.  
  
One day, the doorbell rang. Wataru slipped on her gloves - the regular kind - and showed up at the gate, where a woman was waiting with a violin case. "Yes, how may I help you?" Wataru asked, bowing slightly.  
  
"I'm told that Oomura Takeo was here, and he repaired violins," the woman said. "I'm Miyazawa Hitomi, and Dr. Yanagi said to tell him she sent me."  
  
Fangire customer. Yanagi Tomomi had been the Elder that Oomura-san had been so careful about. "Oomura-san has taken a vacation. Would you prefer to wait for him to return and do the repair, or do you need it faster?" She hoped that the woman would wait for Oomura-san to return so that she didn't have to deal with the Fangire."  
  
"No, I need it," the woman, Miyazawa-san, said. "I'm sure that a man of such a reputation would not leave an apprentice on their own unless the apprentice could handle it. Would you please repair my violin?"  
  
"I can do that," Wataru said, being polite and bowing at the woman. "Let's take your violin upstairs so that I can give you a proper estimate."  
  
Oomura-san would be so proud of her.  
  
She led her potential customer up to the atelier, indicating the center table. "Please, put your violin down here and unlatch the case."  
  
The woman put the case down on the table and opened it. She moved the way a true violinist would with a violin, so Wataru had no doubt that she was one. She picked it up and examined it, hissing in sympathy at the damage, with the hole in the left side of the violin. "This will require some work, Miyazawa-san. May I ask how it happened?"  
  
"Stupid human hunters," the woman responded, leaning back against the back workspace. "I use my violin to attract prey; now I'm without it, how can I hunt?"  
  
A chill went up Wataru's spine as the woman casually talked about killing humans. "Hunters? I didn't know there were hunters."  
  
Miyazawa-san nodded. "Yes. They're not very effective; the King makes sure of that. But they're still annoying when they stop you from hunting."  
  
"Are you able to hunt anyway?" Wataru asked, trying to keep from shuddering. If only for the fact that the woman was so casual about it, especially from someone she just assumed was Fangire.  
  
"Yes, it's just easier this way," the Fangire said casually. "The hunters are an annoyance. But the King will stop them if they get out of hand."  
  
Wataru just nodded, not wanting to reveal how she felt about the woman's words. "Yes, he will."  
  
"Have you heard the rumors?" Miyazawa-san asked.  
  
"Rumors?" Wataru echoed. She frowned. Was this where the other was going to discover she wasn't a Fangire? "No, I'm afraid not."  
  
"The Queen has awakened, and Bishop and King are hunting for her, but she hasn't shown up yet," Miyazawa-san said. "Can you imagine any woman not coming at the King's call?"  
  
"She must feel either very independent, or very unworthy of King," Wataru said, examining the violin more for lack of other things to do. "After all, Queen is a very important position."  
  
"Yes, but I'm sure King and Bishop would teach her what she needs to know," Miyazawa-san said. "I hear parents are hoping their daughters will develop the Mark, especially those in the royal bloodlines."  
  
"That would make sense," Wataru said, hoping the woman would Go Away. "They have the best chance of developing Queen, after all."  
  
"Yes, and I hope for his sake that she finds him, soon," Miyazawa-san said. "So, do you know how long the repair will take?"  
  
"I apologize, Miyazawa-san, but it will take at least three days," Wataru said. "And I would say four for safety's sake. Can you wait that long?"  
  
"I can wait," Miyazawa-san said.  
  
"Then, let me have you fill out this form," Wataru said, "And I will contact you when it is fixed."


	2. Chapter 2

"Thank you," the violinist said as Wataru fished the form out, along with a pen. Miyazawa-san obediently filled out the form, handing it back to Wataru. "Please take good care of my violin."

Wataru smiled and bowed. "I will," she promised.

Once the violinist was gone, she turned to Kivat. "How could she tell I'm Fangire?" she asked.

"I would think that either she assumed you were because you were Oomura-San's apprentice, or because you have started reading as Fangire as the Obscurement fails," Kivat said. He flapped in place.

Wataru nodded. Better to plan for the worst-case scenario. That she could no longer hide as a human. On the other hand, being mistaken for a Fangire could work, somehow. She wasn't sure how, but as long as she didn't read as Queen, she should be all right.

"But," Kivat said, "If you are starting to read as Fangire, that could mean that you're becoming Fangire too. Which means that you, too, could need to start hunting."

Wataru made a face at that. "I don't plan to live that long," she said.

"And how do you expect to evade King and Bishop if you're too weak to move?" Kivat asked.

"Simple," Wataru answered, examining the violin. "I die at home."

"That would leave you vulnerable in case King or Bishop found you. You can't fight like that."

Wataru shrugged.

Kivat flapped to one side as she was putting the violin down to consider what needed to be done to fix the violin. She wasn't keen on helping a Fangire hunt victims, but she couldn't afford to call attention to herself. At least she would be able to kill the King and the Queen, which might break the morale of the Fangires. And the repair was going to be expensive too, since she was almost recreating the entire violin. At least the patterns were relatively simple; the woman probably wouldn't even notice that her violin had been remanufactured. Wataru would just have to be extra careful and take more time to repair the violin.

She began the laborious task of taking the violin apart. It required some delicate work that kept mind and body busy. This was what she wanted from her life, not being Queen. She would have been so much happier if fate had left her a simple violin maker working in an atelier.

And of course, just because she had inherited her mom's position and powers didn't mean that she had to accept being Queen. She wasn't going to live that long, so if she evaded her pursuers, she could spend her entire short life making violins.

But eventually, she began to feel twitchy as she was feeling more and more. So far, sitting outside in the back, reading, seemed to so far be enough. So she took a book outside and tried to read. But she couldn't concentrate on the text. After half an hour, she finally gave up and went back inside.

"It's starting to affect you," Kivat noted. "Are you prepared for it to get worse, even affect your work?"

Wataru smiled grimly, returning the book to it's bookshelf. "I don't know, but it's got to be better than giving in. Or letting my King find me. Or anybody else find me, for that matter."

Kivat sighed rather audibly. "Your mother would have wanted you to be with your King. She would not have considered her death to be murder. You would be an excellent Queen to Taiga. Please become the Queen your mother would have wanted you to be."

"I can't be that Queen," Wataru said. She gritted her teeth. "I can't forgive."

"You might find it easier to forgive than you think," Kivat said, "Especially in the arms of your King."

Wataru snorted at that.

"Your mother spoke a lot about how it might be," Kivat said. "She believed in preparing for all eventualities." He patted her shoulder. "You will not be betraying her memory by embracing your King and your duties."

"My mother might be dead, but it's still her society that let her die," Wataru said. "I can't accept being Queen of such a barbaric people."

"You like Oomura-san, and your mother was a Queen," Kivat said.

"And then I have people like my last customer, who think nothing of killing humans," Wataru responded, sitting down. "It's barbaric."

Kivat sighed. "Then do what you must, though I suspect things might go differently than you might expect." He then flapped off to his perch, leaving Wataru to think.

And she did so, lying down on her bed. So what if her mother thought she should be a Queen? And Kivat, and Oomura-san. She wasn't going to be Taiga's Queen in any way, shape, or form.

Eventually, she went back to the violin, recrafting it. After a few days, she was finally ready to return the violin. She hoped maybe a human or two would be saved.

She would have looked for the hunters herself, but she had no clue as to where to look. They wouldn't advertise, of course. So, she would have to find them. Of course, she didn't have to deal with them, either.

All she had to do was ignore her King until they both died. Duck him, avoid him, keep him from finding her. She knew that it wouldn't he as easy as she thought it would be, but damned if she was going to let him walk all over her. Or anybody else for that matter.

She finally called Miyazawa-san. She was sure that the violin was perfect, even though it broke her heart to know that it would be used for luring humans to their deaths. But still, she couldn't bring herself to make a violin that wasn't quality.

"It's perfect," Miyazawa-san breathed once she tested the violin. "Where have you been hiding all my life?"

"Oomura-san is the expert," Wataru said. "I'm just merely decent." She was, she really was. She didn't come anywhere near Oomura-san's genius. Or her parents'.

"Nonsense," the other woman said firmly. "You are brilliant. I wish I could... have you gone hunting lately?"

"Um... well...." Wataru scratched her head, trying to think her way out of what might just be a polite question. "Lately, I think."

"You seem to be the kind to forget to eat in order to do what you love," the Fangire said, amused. "I've met a few like you."

"Well, sort of," Wataru admitted. There could be worse things than being mistaken for an absentminded Fangire.

"Let's go hunting sometime," Miyazawa-san said. "You've got my number; tell me when you want to get together."

"I... um... usually hunt on my own," Wataru said cautiously. That would save her from having to explain that she didn't hunt. "I get horribly shy when I hunt with anybody else."

Miyazawa-san smiled. "I see. But come with me sometime; I want to see how good my violin is."

"I will," Wataru promised. "I can't hunt very well with another person, but I always liked watching the hunt." It was a flat-out lie, but she didn't care.

"Oh, good," Miyazawa-san said. "You have my phone number. Let's get together."

With that, she left with the repaired violin.

"I think I've gone insane," Wataru muttered. "Either that, or I am turning into somebody sympathetic to the Fangire."

"Or," Kivat said, "You're trying to blend in."

Wataru made a face at that. "Blend in?"

"Well," Kivat said, "Instead of pretending you didn't know what she was talking about, you pretended that you were too shy to hunt with another person."

Wataru considered that. "You're right," she said. "I did pretend I knew how to hunt." It was useful to pretend to be what they wanted her to be.

"So, it's something that you'll want to practice," Kivat said. "Otherwise...."

"I'll ask Oomura-sa- wait." She remimentered how her mentor was certain to turn her in if he found that she was Queen. "I can't ask Oomura-san."

"Oomura-san doesn't hunt anyway," Kivat reminded her. "Or at least as little as possible."

"I'll have to risk asking him anyway," Wataru said, looking up at her friend. "It's just... I... I don't know how to be social."

"It's up to you, Wataru," he reminded her. "But it would be good if you were to blend in."

"Blend in..." She sighed, reaching for her cell phone. She dialed Oomura-san's number.

"Hello?" Oomura-san asked. "Wataru? Are you all right?"

"Um, I had someone who knows that professor that you know, she's... well... um... could you come back?" Wataru asked.

"Are you all right?" Oomura-san asked.

She smiled a little at his concern. "I... I think so, but I need your help. Please come?" She hoped that Kivat wouldn't tell Oomura-san that she was stubbornly refusing to be Queen. If she could pretend to hunt, that would be good.

"I'm halfway across Japan," Oomura-san said. "Given that you're royal blood, you could turn to your Elder for help. You are twenty, Wataru, and you do have royal blood. Hell, you could probably turn to Taiga."

"Taiga got me into this situation in the first place," Wataru muttered. "I'm not going near an Elder or King if I had any choice."

He sighed. "And I don't dare get near you," Oomura-san said. "Not until the Queen is found."

"What if the Queen isn't found?" Wataru asked. "What if he hunts forever and ever?"

"Wataru," Oomura-san asked, "Are *you* Queen?"

"Um," Wataru said, biting her tongue to avoid saying "yes".

"Kurenai Wataru," Oomura-san said, "I can't make you go to your King, but I can let you know that you'll feel much better if you do."

"That's what Kivat says," Wataru said. "But I can't! I have to make him suffer."

"He *is* suffering," Oomura-san said. "If he isn't now, he will be. I'm not going to turn you in, as much as I'd like to. You're an adult. You have to make your decision." He was quiet for a moment. "And make the right one, Wataru."

"I will... for me," Wataru said. "Thank you, Oomura-san. For everything."

The man on the other side sounded regretful. "You take care of yourself, Wataru. Just... don't torture yourself. And go to him. Go to him. Don't throw away your life on something that wasn't murder."

She was silent, mentally shaking her head. It was murder, it was, and nobody would stop her from believing that. She would avenge her mother's death, and she would do it the only way she knew how.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Kivat asked.

"I'm going to do exactly what I said I'd do, and let Taiga die," Wataru said. "I'm not going to go to my King. Well, 'my' King. Because he's not really my king. I'm more human than Fangire. I want to be human. And I'm going to be human, and nothing's going to stop me."

"Except for your own biology, a King tearing apart the city to get you, and Bishop possibly knowing where you live," Kivat reminded her. "Don't be stupid, Wataru. If you intend to stay as the human you think you are, you have to think."

"Right." She got up and paced. "I have to avoid Taiga, which should be pretty easy. He doesn't know who I am, I read as a normal Fangire apparently, and nobody would know that I'm Queen. And to the ignorant, I'm full human. He won't know where to look for me."

"I'm not sure that plan will work," Kivat said. "But what are your plans to deal with Bishop? It wouldn't take him that long, if he suspected."

"There's the small blessing that that Elder that Oomura-san interacted with can tell him that Oomura-san now lives here," Wataru said. "And that he's definitely a guy."

At least that should work. She didn't want to be found by Bishop or King, on the consequences of what they might do. If she could stay out of the way of that Elder, that was good too.

"Except that said Elder will no doubt talk to your new friend and your new friend will tell her that Oomura-san has a female apprentice. And your name. Kurenai Otoya was not unknown to the Checkmate Four. Bishop considered him a pest, as did Taiga's father, the King."

Wataru sighed. "But Dad wasn't a pest, he was a noble man and Mom loved him for it."

"Yes, he was, from what I hear," Kivat said. "And your mother would have wanted you to be like him. But you have to accept the fact that you are more Fangire than human now."

"I know, but it would be nice to pretend I'm not," Wataru snapped, and then immediately regretted it. "Sorry, Kivat. It's just... just... I want to be free of this. Barring that, I do want Taiga to die."

"Once you're in his arms," Kivat said, "you won't. You'll want to be with him every moment."

"Then I won't be in his arms, will I?" Wataru asked. "I won't be his Queen. I won't let him touch me."

He wouldn't. Since he couldn't find her, he'd just sicken and die, just like she would sicken and die without him. "Kivat," she said, "Promise me that if I start dying, you won't seek Taiga out and bring him."

Kivat fluttered around. "Wataru...."

"Promise me," she said firmly. "Promise me that I can die in peace."

"If that's what you wish," Kivat said. "But I hope that's truly what you do wish."

The tiredness and regret in Kivat's voice made Wataru pause for a moment. But only for a moment.

"It's what I wish," Wataru said softly. "I want to die after I've avenged Mom. I want to know he's dying a slow, painful, insane death."

"By which point you will have gone insane," Kivat said. "Please, Wataru...."

"I finally have the chance to do what I've always dreamed of, Kivat," Wataru said softly. "Please, don't deny me that chance."

The bat sighed, but didn't argue. Wataru smiled grimly. She'd learn to pretend-hunt, associate with the violinist, and get her information. As Taiga became more and more desperate, she'd celebrate. Quietly, but she'd celebrate. Her new 'friend' would surely know what was going on, even if Wataru didn't.

So, Wataru celebrated the next day by going out for a walk. It was a beautiful day, and she knew that she would not see another year pass, so she made the most of it. She didn't know how long it would take for Taiga to sicken and die, but she guessed less than a year. She could live with less than a year.

She found herself walking along a well-known path. Somewhere along the line, it passed a waterfall, one of her favorite spots. If she wanted to be maudlin, she'd go to the clearing that her mother had died in, but she resolved not to do that unless she was losing her own resolve.

But instead of heading towards the waterfall, she headed up another path. She wasn't sure where she was going, nor did she very well care. It wasn't like anything important would happen anyway.

Of course, she was heading back when she almost bumped into him.

He was dressed almost all in white. White shirt, white t-shirt, white pants. Even his shoes were white, oddly enough. He was looking about, if expecting to find someone, his gloved left hand clenched around the waist of his pants.

Taiga. The King of the Fangire. As far as her mother and Oomura-san and Kivat were concerned, her King, the one she should go to. The one that would make everything better.

She snorted. Everything better? He couldn't bring back her mother, nor would he likely want to, based on what he'd said those years ago. She walked past him, intending to bolt into the trees. It wasn't like he could sense her, after all. Nobody could sense her, thanks to the Obscurement that her mother had performed. She was safe, he didn't know she was the one he sought.

Wataru made her way to the trees, intending to get out of his sight before she was at risk of him touching her and knowing her for what she was. If she played it right, she could watch him for a while, get a better idea of what she could do to speed his death.

She was grasped behind, caught in a tight hug. "I've found you," he said. "At last."

The tone made her thoughts catch. It was warm, friendly, a voice she could drown in for hours, a voice that she had waited her entire life to hear. A voice that was amazing. She didn't want to let go, didn't want *him* to let go. Somewhere in there, she felt like everything missing in her life had just fell into place.

"Taiga," she breathed. She couldn't say much else, everything was bubbling in her head, she was part of a whole, and she wanted to be part of that whole. She didn't want to move, didn't want to move, didn't want to move....

So, this was what it was like being Queen to Taiga's King. Being Taiga's Queen. It was easy to see why her mother, Oomura-san, even Kivat had urged her to be part of the whole thing. Because when her skin touched Taiga's, she felt like she belonged.

One hand let go of her body to stroke her hair as she felt his chin rest on the top of her head. "Yes, I'm Taiga." He ran a hand through her hair. "And you're my Queen. I've been looking for you."

Wataru blinked, and remembered that she had to get out of this before it was too late for her to escape from Taiga and the feelings that he caused. She stepped on his foot. "Pervert!" she screamed, at the top of her lungs, and started struggling.

Taiga's arm was still wrapped around her, but she pulled free, swirling around and taking the chance that Fangire males suffered the same problem that human males did with their private parts. He nicely doubled over, and she ran, not caring where as long as it was far away from Taiga.

He'd gotten a look at her, but he didn't have her. And he'd live without his Queen. Maybe she was lucky and the encounter had made things worse for him. He so deserved it. She'd have to ask Kivat when she got home. She ran out of the park, taking a minute or so to recognize where she'd left it. She took the long way around to another park entrance, daring to go through the park again on the way home.

"I take it that you didn't have a restful time in the park," Kivat observed.

"Well, I *was* having a restful time before *he* showed up," Wataru muttered. "I... I'm not going to become Queen."

"He's being drawn to you," Kivat said. "And you're the same way. You're supposed to be together, Wataru."

"Just tell me that it's going to be worse for him from now on," Wataru said, shivering. She wrapped herself in a blanket, though it didn't seem to solve her woes. "He's seen me, he's touched me....."

"Yes, it will be worse, from what I've heard," Kivat said. "For both of you, King and Queen. You're not meant to be apart like this. Your Marks will bring you together. The Obscurement is nearly failing, Wataru, and now that Taiga has met you... he will not stop trying to find you again. You're playing a dangerous game."

"It's the only game I can play," Wataru said. "I am not his Queen."

"Could have fooled me," Kivat said. "But... it's your own choice."

Wataru shivered some more, wanting to hide away. "I am not going to let my Mark rule me, I will *not* be with Taiga!" Wataru seethed. In her left hand, beneath the glove, her hand pulsed, reflecting her heartbeat and... something else. Something she wasn't sure of.

"Your Mark will bring you to Taiga, or vice versa," Kivat said. "At the very least, Taiga knows that you exist, what you look like... and other forces will be working to find you. For example, that Elder of Oomura's. And every Elder. And Bishop. And King." He sighed. "Best avoid the park for a while and hope that he doesn't find you here."

"He won't," Wataru said confidently. "I'm not going to let him find me. I'm not going to be his Queen." With those firm worlds, she felt much better, But she couldn't stop shivering, as if afraid something was going to happen. She knew that if Taiga found her, nothing good would come of it, but she couldn't not go out. She'd just have to be very very careful about her shopping and other habits until Taiga became sick and died.

She could live until then. She hoped. She'd just have to resist her own mark and hope he didn't find her. She had no clue as to how far out he could notice, but she hoped it wasn't very close.


	3. Chapter 3

For the next week or three, Wataru was indeed very cautious about going out. She made quick trips to the store, unsure as to when or how Taiga might pop up again, and she closed the violin shop temporarily. She had enough money that she really didn't *have* to work, but she worked none the less. She kept inside as much as possible, or out in her backyard, resisting the urge to check out the outside world and to wander about.

Wandering about had gotten her into trouble in the first place.

She wondered how it would have been had she always known that she was part Fangire, or if she'd never known at all. Her innocent self would be, of course, innocent. She would have no clue that she was 'meant' to be with Taiga, and she would not have known that she was subconsciously waiting to meet her brother - and thanks to the whole mess with the Obscurement, she'd not understand why she didn't want to fall in love or marry. And then Taiga would find her, and sweep her into his arms.

With Oomura's help, of course, and Kivat's, because they genuinely believed that Wataru and Taiga, as Queen and King, belonged together.

So, she would have ignorantly fallen in love with her half-brother - for she doubted that Taiga or any of the others would have brought that up, of course - and married him, and not found out until later that her brother had been partially responsible for their mother's death. From what she could tell, the whole thing about being an awakening Queen was that she didn't care a whole lot about other possible partners. Her whole body wanted Taiga, and didn't understand that Taiga would be her half brother.

She could well believe that an alternate her would be comfortable with Taiga. There was that togetherness that made her wish that things would be simple, that she could accept Taiga, that she could be one with Taiga. Because the Marks made that very, very easy. That would have been the easy path, the way that she could have been led astray.

And yet, somehow, Wataru somehow envied that version of her. A version that existed in some universe, where she was at peace with herself and Taiga and everything was nice.

She wondered if that version of her would be happy. She hoped so, in a way, for her alternate's sake. Her alternate would not be the way she was, knowing what she did and knowing what Taiga had done. In some ways, she wished she could be that innocent.

But she wasn't that innocent. She couldn't be that innocent.

She sighed, and continued working on her violins. Everything she could do to stay away from Taiga she would do. Everything that would keep the Fangire from having a King and a Queen, she would do.

Wataru had to wonder what it would be like to give up, though. To be Taiga's Queen. To forgive him for executing her mother, or at least believing her mother to be a traitor. It was certainly the easier route. She knew, kind of, where Taiga worked. And if she asked, she could surely find her way to that Elder, who would make sure Taiga knew about his Queen.

But that wouldn't happen. That couldn't happen.

So, she continued being careful, isolating herself, trying to ignore the phone. She had been invited to hunting twice, had ended up making her excuses, promising someday that she'd go out hunting with Miyazawa-san.

Kivat came in, holding a sheet of paper. A flyer. She read it over. "A chance at a date with the head of Development and Pioneer?" she asked blankly. "Why would I want to date Nobori Taiga? I want to *kill* Nobori Taiga."

"Well, there's always the hope that you'll come to your senses," Kivat said, sighing. "If you want to do it, you can."

"Half of Tokyo would be going to it, and at least for one day, at least he'll be busy interviewing people that he wouldn't be looking for me where he shouldn't be," Wataru said. "I'll go out that day, but I'm not going *anywhere* near Development and Pioneer. I can't risk him finding me!"

"You could do that," Kivat said. "Or you could accept your fate and go to your King."

Wataru made a face at her companion. "Really."

Kivat didn't respond, flying over to his perch. Wataru wadded up the flyer and trashed it. There was no way she was going anywhere near that office building.

Oh, she knew very well what the people of Development and Pioneer did, or were supposed to do. They invited investments, checking them out, funding some of them. Other companies that got the 'support' of Development & Pioneer found their scientists or their founders dead, all for the crime of advancing Humanity out of Fangire control.

Oh yes, she was very familiar with what Nobori Taiga did for a living.

Her phone rang, and she looked over, recognizing the phone number. "Oh, hi, Miyazawa-san."

"Did you see the flyer?" Miyazawa-san said, excitement in her voice.

"Flyer?" Wataru asked blankly, and then realized. "The whole interview thing with Nobori Taiga?" That she was totally going to miss if she had anything to say about it.

"Well, of course," Miyazawa-san said. "Of course, that's just a coverup for King to find Queen, since Queen won't come to King for some reason otherwise."

Wataru made a face. "That's too bad."

"Yes, you would think Queen would be eager to be with King, but I guess not," Miyazawa-san said. "So, how about it? Would you like to go together to this thing?"

"Um... I'm... I shouldn't go," Wataru said. "I don't think I could be Taiga's Queen." It was the truth, at least.

"I know you're shy, but... it's not a request, it's a demand," her sometime friend pointed out. "All single Fangire women will go and be checked by the King. If you don't come to the King's Call, you'll have to explain why you didn't go... to the King. Personally, I'd rather not face the King when he's pissed off."

The King's Call, was it?

Wataru knew that if she went there, she was sunk. She knew that once Nobori Taiga saw her, he'd want to claim her as Queen. She was not insane enough to go there into the enemy's lair and turn herself in to her King.

And since when had Taiga been her King, anyway?

"But... I can't be Taiga's Queen, it's just...."

"I know, you're probably from some bloodline that doesn't seem to have a touch of royal blood," Miyazawa-san said, sounding amused. "But remember hearing about the King from three thousand years ago, The Glove Passed Over A Circular Ladder?"

Wataru blanked on that one. "The Glove Passed Over A Circular Ladder?" she asked, uncomprehending.

"Yes," Miyazawa-san said. "The one that is responsible for so many minor royal bloodlines, because he slept with anything that moves? I hear that there might be humans to this day who might carry his genes."

"Um, not really, but...." She fumbled for words. She hated feeling so ignorant of her heritage on her Fangire side.

"I can't believe you have never heard of him! A lot of families talk about what he did, especially anybody who has the remotest aspirations towards increasing their royal blood."

Wataru blushed, glad the other woman couldn't see her. "My family's a bit more humble about that," she said finally. "It's... it's...."

"Maybe your family had an affair a thousand years back and don't want to be reminded," Miyazawa-san said. "I can't believe you've never heard of him!"

"I can't believe it either," Wataru told her. "Now that I do know... I... I just can't see myself going."

"Oh, come on, Wataru," Miyazawa-san said. "You don't want to piss off a King. You don't want an example made of you, so I'll be your moral support, okay? I'll make sure you get to see our King."

That was exactly what Wataru didn't want to happen, but she'd think of a way out of it. Sooner or later.

"But... but... I have no idea what to say to our King," Wataru said. "What would I have in common with him?" Other than being his younger half-sister, of course.

"I hear the King is really nice," Miyazawa-san said. "His main interest is finding his Queen, of course, though. It's not like he's going to remember you; you just have to show you're not Queen."

Show him that she was not Queen would be difficult, if not impossible, but it raised a tiny hope in Wataru's heart.

"Half of female, single Tokyo and surrounding regions will be there, not to mention probably a few guys," she said. "That's an awful lot of us." Maybe he wouldn't get to her. Maybe there would be too many.

"You didn't notice that he's doing it over a week?" Miyazawa-san asked quizzically.

"Um, no," Wataru admitted. A whole week not having to worry about Taiga running across her seemed like high heaven. "That would make things easier. But still...."

"The screening staff just have to weed out the humans," Miyazawa-san said. "Giving us a chance to see our King."

"Oh," Wataru said. "So, once we pass the screening, there should just be Fangire seeing the King?" If she could fool the screening staff into thinking she was a human, then Taiga would never see her. And she could honestly say that she had been screened. She just had to figure out how to fool the screening staff. And explain to Miyazawa-san on how she'd been missed. Or just pretend that she hadn't, and that she'd seen Taiga. That might be best.

"That's the idea," Miyazawa-san said. "I hear, though, that the screening staff are supposed to give a lot of leeway. So there might be a human or two who's the child of an illegal union among us. Not going to hurt the King to interview them."

"Or the descendant of an illegal union or two," Wataru replied. "Maybe the Queen is ignorant. And not full. Maybe that's why she didn't come to her King." She thought of how she would have been had she been kept in the dark and become Queen. She'd probably be going to the King's Call, would have been 'read' as Fangire, been found by her King.

"I hope not," Miyazawa-san said. "Not that the descendants are at fault for what they are - cattle with superior blood - but it kind of goes against what the Queen does."

"The Queen eliminates traitors," Wataru pointed out. "Would you have a problem with a half-human Queen? Or someone who's barely Fangire?"

"Well," Miyazawa-san said hesitantly, "It's not like we have a choice in the matter? Queen's Mark chooses the person it chooses. It's just... well, they're food, for the most part."

Miyazawa-san might accept a part-human Queen, though the food remark stang. "Maybe they can redeem their bloodline."

"You're right," her 'friend' told her. "That's a good way to look at it. And once they know the superiority of their Fangire bloodline, I'm sure they will."

Superiority of the Fangire bloodline, her ass. The Fangire were nothing more than predators. But she contained herself and tried to think of what to do next. "So, when were you planning to go, Miyazawa-san?"

"I can't go until the Tuesday," her 'friend' said. "You?"

"I want to get it over with," Wataru told her, "So I might go Monday. I'm not thrilled about it, but it is the King's Call. I'd rather get it out of the way."

"Are you sure?" Miyazawa-san said, sounding surprised. "You didn't want to go a bit ago."

"Well, if partbloods are going through," Wataru said, "Then I guess it's my duty to go too. I'm not keen on it, but... if I'm scared, then I have to force myself to go at the earliest opportunity. I don't want you to feel like you have to keep an eye on me to keep me from bolting."

"Actually," Miyazawa-san said, "I was rather hoping to have someone to chat with while waiting to see the King. But If you really want to go alone... well... you could." The disappointment in her voice was tangible, but Wataru didn't feel the slightest bit sorry for not going with the woman. She had to be mistaken for a human, so she had to go alone.

"I know," Wataru said, sounding regretful. "But I just want to get this over with."

"I understand," Miyazawa-san said, still sounding disappointed. "I guess if you don't go, you're the one that'll face the King's wrath."

"I know." At least she'd be honestly be able to say that she did. "I'll send you a picture of the line. I bet it's going to be *huge*!"

Miyazawa-san laughed. "I bet it will, too. You do that."

"You'll have to tell me about the line on your day, too," Wataru said, knowing that the woman probably would. "We can compare notes!" In which, if she escaped, she'd lie about going up to see Taiga.

"Deal," Miyazawa-san said.

Miyazawa-san sounded at least a little happier at the plan, which was a relief to Wataru. After all, if there was anything that Wataru didn't want at the moment, it was attention.

"I've been talking about you," Miyazawa-san said. "To the Elder, Dawn, as well. She didn't even know Oomura-san had an apprentice. I think she'd like to meet you too. You and she can talk about music."

"Oomura-san and I have worked on her violin several times," Wataru told her. "I'd be honored if she came and talked." She could talk to Kivat. He liked music, too. Or even maybe Oomura-san, if he came back. She, personally, wanted to stay well clear of the Elder.

"You'll like her. She's nice," Miyazawa-san said. "Maybe she can come before you go to the King."

"I'd be... a bit overwhelmed, to be honest," Wataru said. "Meeting an Elder, and then seeing the King. But what happens, happens." Personally, she was getting the heck out of there if an Elder showed up.

"Yes," Miyazawa-san said. "I guess it's kind of overwhelming for you, to have all this attention paid to you. But our Elder will be glad to meet you. I've passed along your photograph and your phone number to her."

Wataru took a deep breath and inwardly cursed the other woman. The last thing she needed was an Elder knowing who she was, and worse, the King seeing the photo and going after her. If he could link her photo, her, with the woman who had kicked him in the nuts at the park, she was sunk. And at the very least, Queen.

"Yes, it is," she agreed quietly, as to not to seem out of the ordinary. "I never really wanted to be noticed."

"Well, it's in a good way," her friend said confidently. "It's for a good thing."

"Thank you, Miyazawa-san," Wataru said. "I... I guess I'm just a bit...."

"Humble?" Miyazawa-san asked. "It's okay. These things happen. And it'll be all good, you'll see. It's too bad the former Queen went traitor; she would have truly appreciated you."

Given that the former Queen was her mother, she had no doubt about that. "And yet it was loving a human musician that was her downfall."

"All of us have our weaknesses, but only the Queen would dare break her own rule," Miyazawa-san said. "It could be far far worse. And some of us share her love of music. Dawn, the Elder in question, got along well with the Queen as was most upset, or so I'm told, when the Queen turned traitor. Heaven knows that the King wasn't into it, nor the current King."

"Maybe the Queen - the one that King is trying to find - will be into music too," Wataru said. "Maybe we'll get lucky."

"We could be," Miyazawa-san said. "Well, I'll talk to you later. Let me know how it goes in the line!"

"Will do," Wataru promised, closing the connection on her cellphone.

"It would be good for you to go," Kivat said, hovering.

"Yes, if only to keep them off my back, at least for a little while." She carefully glued a seam on the violin she was working on. "I doubt that I'd pass the first screening."

"I think you'd be surprised," Kivat told her. "But if you want to learn that the hard way...."

"I'm going to go to the thing, take pictures, and then run," Wataru said. "Now that the Elder knows that I exist, it's too dangerous to stay here." She'd been hoping she could, but then again, there had been times when she and her mother had spent a few months on the road for no reason that she'd ever been given.

So, she continued on the violin, making sure it was together, and hoping her life would stay together.

A few days passed, and then it was the day to go to Development & Pioneer. Wataru dressed to cover as much of her skin as possible, donning full gloves - not fingerless ones, couldn't risk him finding her by getting passed through - and going there. She was glad that the Elder hadn't come in contact, probably too busy with classes or something like that.

She joined the crowd of women who had decided to come early - she wanted to get it over with - and waited anxiously for the doors to open. She took a few pictures of the crowd before her and the crowd behind her, and then wrote a note. "To Miyazawa-san. I decided the best time to go was early. It looks like the police are out to make sure the crowd stays orderly - I have to wonder exactly how many of us are in this crowd. I hope to let you know how the whole thing goes - I'm sure it'll be a good experience. Talk to you later, Kurenai Wataru."

With that mail sent, she turned her attention to getting through the line. It seemed to shuffle forever to the doors of the Fangire-owned company, and towards the front of the line she was handed a clipboard with a place to put her name, address, and phone number. She made up all three, hoping that nobody would look askance. All she had to do was get through the interview, get rejected, and leave. Then she'd start making use of the King's distraction to get her things together and get the heck out of Tokyo and to somewhere where she couldn't be found.

Handing the clipboard back to the woman, she slowly got into the building. First, a photo. She wasn't too concerned because even if she was spotted, he'd be going on completely false information. Then she was sent to wait for an interview room, and sat there for a few minutes, watching who came in and who came out. Most people came out, indicating that they were human, but a few must have been Fangire, sent to talk to the King.

Finally, she was called in to see one of the interviewers. She smiled, and the interviewer smiled back. "So, Ishida Kiko-san," the woman said, reading her name off of her card, "What brings you to want to marry our President, Nobori Taiga-san?"

"Well," Wataru said softly, "He's cute. And his company is good. And, well, I hear he appreciates the arts. I'm an artist." She knew the last part was completely false, but better to lie than to be caught out. "So, I wanted a chance at him."

The woman leaned forward, and Wataru prayed that she didn't read as Fangire. "So, what could you bring to the marriage?"

"Well, I could cook, and I'd be there for him, and I'd take care of the kids," Wataru said. She doubted that Taiga, being a Fangire, needed to be fed, and she wasn't about to be there for him. And there was no way she was having kids with her big half-brother.

"Do you have any special talents?" the woman asked.

"Well, I play the violin quite well, and I restore them." That part was the truth, because who would remember the interview anyway? "But other than that, no."

The woman nodded at her responses. "I see." She watched Wataru for a moment, before pressing a button on her earpiece. "Excuse me."

Damn, she was going to be sent to be interviewed by Taiga. She couldn't afford that. She forced herself to stay still, though. If they were unsure, there was still a chance. And if not... then she would find a way out of there.

She leaned forward, spotting the ink stamps. However, she had no clue which to use, so she settled back and hoped for a miracle.

Another woman, different from the first, came in. "Hello, Ishida-san," the woman said. "I apologize for this. Could you please tell me what you told the other lady?"

"Um. Okay." She wasn't expecting that. They probably wanted to have some extra time to figure her out. "Nobori-san is cute and he's got a wonderful company, he appreciates the arts, so I've heard. And if I was to be his wife, I'd cook for him and take care of the kids and I hope that he doesn't mind a woman who makes and plays the violin."

That should be fast enough that the woman shouldn't get a good idea of what she was.

The woman sighed. "I see. I'm not sure you would make a good match for our President. But we will retain your card, just in case." She reached for a stamp. "Please, take off one of your gloves."

Wataru did so, taking off her right glove. The woman was similarly gloved, and took her hand, stamping it. "Thank you," she said politely, inwardly congratulating herself on getting through the thing.

"Thank you for coming," the woman said politely, and then showed her out the door.

Wataru walked out of the interview room, back towards the place where women were exiting. There was a guard there who was checking hands. As she reached the door, she showed her stamped hand to the guard, a female guard, who frowned.

"I think you should go back and re-interview," the guard said, taking her hand in a gloved hand. "I'm not sure you should have been given this stamp."

"It's all right," Wataru said, blushing. "This was stupid of me to go. I knew I didn't have a chance, not with such a dreamboat." She sighed dramatically.

"Let me get you to someone, so you can interview with someone else," the guard said firmly. "Something tells me that you were sorted incorrectly."

Shit. She had to get out of there before the guard made good on her threat. Just as the guard was going to call someone to take her back, her radio beeped. The guard turned to one side to answer it, and Wataru dashed out. It wasn't like they had the correct name anyway. They couldn't find her, and she could say she went through the thing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the fic starts earning a Mature rating. I can't write sex scenes worth a darn, so it won't get to explicit.

Wataru ran as fast as she could manage away from D&P. There was always the possibility of someone following her - after all, she bet that usually, women weren't running away from the thing in tears.

She got to her bike and mounted it, conscious of the fact that there were shouts coming from nearby - D&P security finally tumbling onto the fact that she wasn't supposed to be leaving.

Knowing she'd be in trouble if security caught up to her, she drove off.

She arrived back to her house to have a woman waiting there with a violin. Of all the times to get a client, she thought, stopping her motorcycle to smile apologetically at the woman. "I'm sorry, we're closed today," she said with a bow.

"Actually," the woman said, "I'm here to see you, Kurenai Wataru."

Wataru blinked. "You are....?"

"Miyazawa-san wanted me to come over, but I never had the time," the woman apologized.

"Ah!" Wataru said, the pieces clicking into place. This was the Elder she'd been avoiding. "Oomura-san's favorite client."

The Elder smiled. "Yes. I'm pleased to know I made such an impression on him."

"I've had the the honor of working on your violin," Wataru said, bowing. Maybe if she bowed enough, the Elder would be happy and Go Away before Taiga started putting pieces together and finding his Queen.

"Ah, yes. You've done a very good job. And you're still Oomura's apprentice?" The woman folded her hands, not moving.

"Yes. At least, he hasn't said anything about me being on my own. He trusts me enough, however, to run the shop while he's not here."

She hoped that was enough. She didn't want to be rude to the woman, but she had to get out of there.

"I apologize for being a bit abrupt," Wataru said, "I wasn't expecting you at all. I had made plans - I have a lot to do." Like get out of there, she knew.

"I had meant to call," the Elder said, nodding. "But I got busy - classes and such. You know how it is. Miyazawa-san mentioned that you had gone to the King's interview. What did you think of him?"

Wataru froze up. "He was... um. Nice." And clingy, and friendly, as if he hadn't been indirectly responsible for the death of her mom. But she could hardly mention that, could she? Any of those parts.

"From what Miyazawa-san mentioned, I expected to be waiting a bit longer," the Elder said. "But I guess the King is taking as little time as possible as he can manage - after all, there's a lot of women to interview." She was nodding to herself. "Unless he found his Queen fast, but we all figured that she'd avoid the interviews."

"Everything did seem a bit... rushed," Wataru said truthfully. She suddenly felt sorry for the interviewer and the supervisor. Had they touched her hand, they would have known.

"Yes," the Elder said regretfully. "The King is desperate." There was the unmistakeable sound of a phone ringing. "Excuse me for a minute."

"Um, that's no problem, let me put my motorcycle inside my gates," Wataru said. It would only take her a few minutes to grab her backpack and Kivat, and get out of there. Or at least get out of there as soon as the Elder let up.

She dashed in, parking the motorcycle, and taking the back entrance into her house. "Kivat," she hissed, and her companion joined her. "Has she been waiting long?"

"Not really," Kivat said. "You're really going to go on with this, aren't you?"

"He has to die," Wataru said firmly. "As soon as I can get her out of the way, I'm out of here." She grabbed the backpack she was taking, and hurried out, Kivat following behind. Stashing the backpack behind the motorcycle, she returned to where the Elder was just finishing her phone call.

The Elder smiled at her. "Sorry about that, business-related."

"It's all right." She wondered if her antsiness showed. She hoped not. The last thing she wanted was the Elder to figure out something was wrong.

"So, do you enjoy violin-making? Are you the first of your family to do it?" the Elder asked warmly.

"Well, yes," Wataru said, lying. Her mother had taught her to make violins; but saying that would make the Elder ask who her mother was. "Oomura-san was friends with my parents; my father, mostly. I like violin-making. Oomura-san is a very good teacher. To be honest, I actually went into it wanting to be able to fix my own family's violins."

The woman tapped her lip thoughtfully. "I'm not familiar with a family with the human name Kurenai," she said finally. "What are your parents' true names, child?"

Wataru inwardly swore. The woman had been a close friend of her mother's; she would recognize her friend's true name.

"Sands in Latticework with Timbers Showing, and Triple Color Tree Roots in Winter," she said, making up totally random names. "They were from Osaka." It would take time for the Elder to find out she'd been lied to. It would put Oomura-san in hot water, but there was nothing she could do about that than apologize.

"Hm, I don't know those names," the Elder said thoughtfully. "I'll have to meet them sometime. Are they good?"

"My mother said my father was magic on strings," Wataru said. "He's... um. Dead now."

"I should invite you to my house sometime," the Elder mused. "I think you'll like it there. I believe we have a lot to talk about."

"That would be nice, thank you," Wataru said, wishing the woman would just leave.

"You look like you could use some energy, poor child. The Elder was striding in the gates. "Do you have any chairs? Anything? I could feed you."

"I... was planning to hunt today, to tell you the truth," Wataru said. That neatly covered one of her errrands. "I know I'm a bit absentminded, but...." She was not going to be fed. She refused to be. "I took the day off so I could enjoy the hunt." That might get the woman out of there, maybe?

"We should hunt together," the Elder said. "I know your kind all too well. Too busy with your art to feed yourselves. The Queen was like that sometimes." She smiled fondly. "You remind me of her, in some ways...."

Maybe she was more her mother's daughter than she thought, but there was little she could do about that, either. "I... um. I hunt alone." That had thrown Miyazawa-san off, it could throw the Elder off.

"Hunting with someone else is not going to kill you," the Elder suggested, and Wataru groaned.

She heard a motorcycle stop just outside her gate and froze, hoping that it wasn't another customer.

"Though I probably won't be the one hunting with you, if I'm right," the Elder said, turning in the direction of the gate. "Excuse me."

Wataru wondered who she was going off to talk to, and if she herself could sneak through at that point. As the Elder disappeared, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned to go back to her bike. She could probably grab her pack before the Elder was the wiser, and get out of there.

That was before a figure in white suddenly appeared and she collided with the figure before she could stop and react. She was enclosed in warm arms, her face squashed against a chest. The building feeling of contentment made her realize that the chest belonged to Taiga, and this time he was holding her too close for her to knee him.

"It's all right," he was saying gently. She would have said something rude, but she was unable to. Part of it was the loathed feeling of contentment. Part of it was that he was not letting her go. "Thanks for keeping her busy."

"I've been suspicious ever since I heard the girl's surname," the Elder was saying. "Kurenai Otoya was the one who seduced your mother, after all."

"And I recognize this place," Taiga replied. "I could hardly forget it. I should have checked back, but I didn't want anything to do with Mother." He still hadn't let go."To leave her like this...."

"I agree, we should have searched the house," the Elder told him. "Given her age, she must have been a teenager when your mother was executed."

Wataru started to struggle. If she could work loose, she could run. There was still a chance. "And it looks like my mother fed her lies. She shouldn't be fighting me like this...."

There were footsteps, and then a warm hand on Wataru's neck. "I'm wondering if your mother tried to make her little girl into a human... I can read some magic on this one that shouldn't be there."

"She did," Kivat said, and Wataru tried not to cry. "She literally tried to make Wataru into a human."

"You must be related to the Queen's Kivat," the Elder said, delight entering her voice, and then rapidly fading. "But the Queen...."

"Has been clinging to her human side ever since she found out she was part Fangire," Kivat said. "Even upon learning of her Fangire blood, she didn't let Oomura-san teach her to hunt... and he was leery of asking anybody else." He sighed. "He had his suspicions... but he didn't know she was Queen."

Wataru could only marvel at Kivat's lies for Oomura's sake. They didn't help her much, though.

"She's my Queen now," Taiga said, his voice vibrating from where he held her. "I'll help her."

She felt herself blush as desire swept through her, signaling that her body was ready to join with her King's, even if she wasn't ready to join with him. To make matters worse, she was sure Taiga's body was responding, too.

"Don't forget to feed her," the Elder said. "She feels low on Energy - It's probably been a few weeks since she's been fed."

"I will," Taiga said warmly. He stopped holding her so tightly, a hand weaving its way through her hair. "But there are other matters to attend to first."

Oh gads. She froze at that remark. He was going to go through with it, wasn't he? He was going to seal their bond, with or without her.

And yet... something in her refused to let her raise her knee. Something within her refused to strike at him. Even as he loosened his grip.

*I want to be out of here,* she thought.

Suddenly, she was standing in her living room.

Well, at least she was out of Taiga’s grasp and could think, and react. Some instinct of hers must have combined with her powers as Queen and brought her to safety. Or at least relative safety. Her house might have been locked, but that only gave her a short few minutes. After all, Taiga had definitely not been within her gates a second before she collided with him.

Maybe she’d get lucky and he’d teleport straight into one of the walls, or something.

For the moment, she had to think. “Okay, my bag is outside. Taiga is outside. The elder is outside. I have no back gate. I can’t outwait Taiga because he will outwait me. He knows his powers better than I do mine.”

She doubted Taiga was going to give up. And he knew who she was, now. Swaying for a moment, rocked with a *need* for him, she had to sit down. “Kivat is cooperating with them.” She should have guessed he would.

And she had no clue how to get out of there. She had no idea how she’d teleported. She was trapped and soon to be stuck being Taiga’s Queen.

Sitting down on her bed, she sighed. She had powers now, and she still couldn’t fight the King. Who didn’t seem to be coming in. “Maybe he doesn’t realize,” she said, hopeful.

Finally, as ten minutes passed, and then fifteen, she went upstairs to check. Peeking through an unopened curtain, she could see Taiga, the Elder, and Kivat talking. She sighed. They had apparently no clue where she was, but at least she hadn’t been grabbed and raped. Maybe if she kept sitting there on her bed, they’d go away.

After what seemed like forever, her upstairs door opened, and closed. Wataru froze. Someone descended down the stairs – Taiga, by the look of the pants.

He was smiling. And holding a flower. “Your Kivat says you like these,” Taiga said, holding it out to her. “I’ve ordered dinner for you. And arranged some music.”

“Kivat talked to you,” she said dully. Well, at least he wasn’t tackling her, even though she could see his erection.

“When my Elder says to pay attention to the Kivat that knows my Queen best, I listen,” he said, smiling and still holding out the flowers.

She gaped at them. Was he really going to try to seduce her that way?

“I’ll get some water for them,” Taiga said, looking for something, probably a vase and water.

“Um.”

“Don’t worry, Wataru. You don’t have to worry about anything ever again.”

That sounded ominous, even with his smile. “I don’t?”

“Your Kivat told me a lot about you,” he said, “And I figured out a lot myself. I’ll be the best big brother and King you’ve ever had!”

Wataru would have facepalmed had this not been one of her mother’s murderers. “You realize I was there when mom died….”

“Your Kivat told me about that, too.” He seemed to have given up trying to find a vase. “She died because she broke the same law you now uphold.” He slid one of her chairs out. “I know you don’t like me very much, but I don’t want you to die.”

“I don’t want to be Queen,” Wataru said. Why she was confessing this to a sworn enemy, she wasn’t sure, but it felt good.

“You were raised human,” Taiga told her. “I can understand that. But you are Queen; it’s time to put your human beliefs away. Just because mother raised you in ignorance doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”

Wataru sighed. Why did he think she was going to cooperate? And why did he have the bizarre belief that she wanted to be Fangire?

Taiga took her hand. “It’s time for us to be together, Wataru. Like King and Queen should be.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek – a surprisingly bashful kiss. She felt her body responding, knowing what came next. Much as she didn’t like it, she needed him.

“I need you,” he said, almost moaning. And then she realized he needed her too; he needed her to be complete, even if she didn’t feel she needed him.

There was still time to make him die an agonizing death.

He sat beside her, taking her in his arms. “Let’s join, Wataru.”

“I’m not ready.” Her body was ready, but she wasn’t.

He responded by running hin hand through her hair gently. “Wataru,” he said, like he was explaining things to a child. “We have to join; our bodies and our people demand it. Don’t tell me you’re not aroused.”

Wataru shivered. Aroused she was; a side effect of being so close to Taiga.

He drew her down, and she was surprised to see that she was on top.

And then he kissed her, long and sensually. It was gentle, still, as if he wanted to draw her in and make her forget herself.


	5. Chapter 5

She pulled away, standing up. "I'm not ready for this." He was trying to seduce her by being gentle, she could tell. She wondered how much Kivat had told him about her. Probably anything that wouldn't get Oomura-san in trouble. For which she was grateful.

"Wataru." There was no honorific on her name, as if he'd already decided it was unnecessary. It was rude of him, to address her in such a familiar manner, even if they were half-siblings. "It'll only get worse if we wait. We've waited long enough. We're King and Queen; the Fangire are expecting us to do this." He took her hand. "Mother poisoned your mind and made you hate me. But the Fangire are your people, too, and you're my Queen."

His words were half-stern, half-pleading. She glared at him. "Mom would have thrown me at you if she was alive. She wanted me to be human, yes, but she wanted me to be with you if this happened. Oomura-san was under her orders to seek you out and tell you about me if he'd known I was Queen. Don't accuse her of something she didn't do. She wanted to save you from having me as Queen."  
  
"She tried to deprive me of my proper Queen, you mean." His hand tensed on the corner of the wall. "You've been my Queen since you were born. No matter what she did, you would have been my Queen. And even if it had worked, you're still Fangire. She had no right to make you human. You're of royal blood."  
  
Wataru shivered. "Kivat said that if the Obscurement had worked, it would have given you someone full."  
  
"It wouldn't have felt right." He shook his head, and then came up to her, wrapping himself around her. "Any Queen other than you would have felt… wrong. Bishop told me that he thought she'd done something to affect my Queen. And now I know what. She tried to keep you from me. If you hadn't shown up at her execution, I probably would have never found you." He sighed. "It doesn't matter. We're together now. I'll help you be Fangire, Wataru." He started towards the bed, and she wondered if he intended to drag her.  
"I what?" Wataru asked. Even if she wanted to bed him - and something in her fiercely wanted to - something about that froze her.  
  
"Dawn, the elder that helped find you, says that you showing up at our mother's execution ultimately undid what she tried to do to you. We were drawn to each other even then, Wataru. You must have known somehow that you needed to be there, to start developing as Queen."  
  
In other words, if she'd stayed home like she was supposed to in the first place, listened to Kivat and her mother, she would have been safe. Human. Not Queen. Oomura-san's presence wouldn't have affected her at all because the Obscurement would have worked. And she would have said so to Taiga, but he seemed to hate their mother enough without it. "Mom must have known that I'd come." She probably hadn't, but Wataru had to wonder.  
  
"Yes." He kissed the top of her head. "But that's in the past now. The important thing is to join with each other, like we're meant to. Don't worry, Wataru; we'll get to know each other in time. You don't have to be alone anymore. Neither will I."  
  
She wasn't sure how to delay him further. She wasn't even sure if she could. This was what she wanted to avoid, joining like he wanted. "I was never alone."  
  
"And now neither of us will be. Give me a chance. Be the Fangire you were meant to be."  
  
Wataru made a face, glad that Taiga probably couldn't see it. He was too busy kissing the top of her head, leading her towards her tiny bed. She supposed it was better than him taking her someplace else, but if there was a way she could have gotten away from this, she would have.  
  
* * *  
  
Despite Taiga's best efforts - and she'd grudgingly give him credit for trying to be gentle - their consummation had been rough. He was snoozing lightly on top of her, apparently exhausted by the effort he'd made earlier to find her. She herself didn't know what to do; despite her struggling, he'd taken her. All thoughts of getting him to go insane and die had… well, there was a setback to her plans.  
  
But she was stubborn. Her mother had said it was because of her father; her stubbornness had come from him. But looking back, it was just as much her mother's attitude as her absent father's. She couldn't do anything about being Taiga's Queen, but that didn't mean she had to make a great Queen, or cooperate with Taiga more than she had to - if that. Kivat had said that her mother had despised Taiga's father, but the sexual bond brought them back to each other no matter what.  
  
She'd have to ask Kivat about that. How much she could get away with not sleeping with Taiga. There was no way in anything she was going to be having her half-brother's child. Or if she could somehow get birth control. Nothing would probably make Taiga more miserable than not being able to have a child with his beloved Queen.  
  
And he'd made sure she knew that she was his beloved when he was taking her. At great length, as if apologizing for what he was doing.  
  
She'd screwed things up, made herself Queen, by being where she shouldn't be. Or at least that's what that Elder had suggested to Taiga. The Elder who'd known her mom, and probably was delighted to have her as Queen. At least she'd been given a bunch of years of freedom, but it was all over now. She had to learn to blend in, just as she'd been starting to do with Miyazawa-san, and she'd have to learn what to do, just so that she could do it badly.  
  
At least she had some idea, thanks to Oomura-san and Kivat. She wasn't completely clueless.  
  
She got up, not wanting to be under Taiga any longer. "Where are you going?" he asked.  
  
"Bathroom." She saw no point in telling him more; he was still the enemy.  
  
"Oh." Taiga blinked as if he hadn't realized she still needed to use the toilet. "That's right. You eat human food." There was some vague scorn in there, but at least he didn't launch into a diatribe about how she needed to be less human. "You take care of what you need to, Wataru. I'll be here when you come back, don't worry."  
  
She wasn't sure how to get out of the house if he was going to hang around. But that could come after she showered. A bath could come eventually, but she needed to get clean first. Wash him off of her, in a way.  
  
Taking a good, thorough shower, she eventually stepped out wrapped in a towel. Taiga looked up as she came out of the bathroom; he was dressed, and seemed to be folding her clothes.  
  
She had to gape at that.  
  
He looked up and smiled in return. "I thought you might want me to pick these up instead of having them lay all over the floor."  
  
"Yes, but...."  
  
"What is it, Wataru?" he asked. "I know all of this is confusing and fast, but you'll survive. You're my Queen. Just tell me how to help you."  
  
She didn't want to be helped, she wanted to scream. But she couldn't. He was dangerous, and she didn't yet have the power to fight him.  
  
Or at least she didn't know how to use the power she'd been given.  
  
She shook her head. "I don't think there's anything you could possibly do to help."  
  
"Of course there is." He put down her shirt and hugged her. "Whatever went wrong, I can fix it. Or try."  
  
He seriously thought he could? Then he was sorely mistaken.  
  
She pushed him away, finding strength that she didn't have before. Maybe the strength came from being Queen; maybe it came from just not wanting to be with him.  
  
"Wataru...." He made a face. "It's all right. I can understand that mother brainwashed you, but we can fix that, don't worry."  
  
"The only thing our mother did was to raise me as a human. The Obscurement should have worked. You should have had a different Queen."  
  
Except she'd trapped herself as his Queen, ever so brightly.  
  
"As I said, Wataru, you were always meant to be Queen. There's nothing wrong with that. It's what you were born to be." Taiga was beginning to sound a little frustrated, as if she wasn't getting the concept.  
  
Good.  
  
He took her hand. "Let's leave this place, Wataru. I can send someone to pack up your things, move them to my place."  
  
"Oomura-san's the only one I'd trust with the task," she said, just to make him angry. "He knows my tools more than anybody else."  
  
"Why should I trust him? He kept the truth from you. He kept you from me. Even if you weren't my Queen, you're still my little sister." He at least had stopped trying to hug her.  
  
"He didn't! He told me what I was when Mom died. He even tried to teach me to hunt, but I refused." Making Taiga angry was one thing; getting Oomura-san hurt was another.  
  
Unexpectedly, Taiga swung towards her. "How are you still alive? You should be starved to death, dead... no, somebody had to be feeding you. Maybe I owe him something, after all."  
  
"Maybe." She allowed that much. "Or maybe, before the Obscurement unraveled, I didn't need it and never did."  
  
"Impossible, Wataru, you're Fangire. Even with the Obscurement, you still needed Life Energy from a human." He shook his head. "No, your mentor probably fed you, just to keep you alive."  
  
Maybe it was best, or at least best for Oomura-san's continued existence, to let him believe that.  
  
"If he did, he did so without my permission." She would make her parents proud. She'd be a human.  
  
And, she realized, if she didn't take in any life energy, she'd gradually starve to death. But that wasn't any worse than going slowly insane, was it?  
  
Oomura-san had told her once that food helped Fangire - that's mostly how he lived - but it wasn't a complete substitute.  
  
"Then he did what was best for you." Taiga folded his arms. "I can see what he did now. He tried to make you Fangire, but he couldn't undo what Mother did and he didn't think to ask for help." He shook his head. "Stupid man. If he'd only thought to ask...."  
  
That wasn't how it had worked at all, but she wasn't about to protest, for Oomura-san's sake.  
  
"But it's okay now." He stepped forward. "I'm here to make sure you learn how to hunt and get the Life Energy you need. I had to learn on my own, but I'll be here for you as you learn to do it for yourself."  
  
Just like before, she was going to have to learn how to pretend-hunt. Get Taiga to trust her enough to not check that she was starving herself to death. It was what she had done for Miyazawa-san, writ large.  
  
It wasn't going to be very pleasant, but it had to be done.  
  
And it would be so much more satisfying to make Taiga think that he'd taught her, when she was going to ignore every lesson he gave her once she was out of his sight.  
  
She tried not to think of the humans that would die until she could convince Taiga that she was doing things right. She didn't want anybody to die, but she didn't have much choice in the matter. Making Taiga suffer was the only thing that she could do.  
  
This way was a way that she'd never imagined, but it would work.  
  
He hugged her again. "All right, Wataru, if you trust him, I'll trust him too."  
  
Wataru took advantage of their bond to avoid squirming. If she was to pull this off, she had to make him as happy as possible, seem to accept her Fangire heritage, learn to hunt, learn to be Fangire.  
  
And then she'd hunt at the supermarket.  
  
"I'd like to keep this place," she said. "It belonged to my father, and before him, his father...." She wasn't actually sure about that last part, but it would convince Taiga if he was at all sentimental.  
  
"It's a good reason to let it go," Taiga said. "You have to let go of this, Wataru. It'll be a constant reminder of Mother, and I'd rather not have you live in this place."  
  
"I'll give it to Oomura-san, then. He's been running the business anyway." And he'd let her get away with storing food there.  
  
He sighed. "All right, but I'll have someone else handle giving it to him, because you're not coming back here. It's not healthy for you."  
  
Why did he think he had the right to run her life? Oh, yes, King and big brother. Except that he had no right to either title.  
  
"And yes, I'll let him pack up whatever you want him to pack up." He shook his head. "But we're going to my home, now, for both our sakes."  
  
"I'm used to living alone." That would sail right over his head, she was sure.  
  
"Yes, but not anymore. Neither of us will be alone, anymore. We're siblings, and King and Queen. We'll be here for each other for the rest of our lives." He was squashing her with his hug. She forced air into her lungs, coughing, and he let her go. "Or maybe you can pack up some things here," he suggested. "I know you have a bag sitting by your motorcycle; we can take that and maybe you have another bag."  
  
"Just that one." She'd always traveled light.  
  
He was nodding. "It's enough, you need to go clothes shopping anyway. I looked at your clothes while you were in the shower...."  
"  
You what?"  
  
"Wataru, I'm your destined husband, I think I'm allowed to look at your clothes." He shook his head. "You should have more of them, and fancier ones."  
  
"Mom left me enough money to live, but I didn't bother with clothes much." It wouldn't have occurred to her to get any had Oomura-san pointed out that she should probably have something to wear, especially bras. At least she'd been able to rely on her mother's until Oomura-san had a female friend take Wataru bra shopping. "I had Kivat, and Oomura-san. I didn't need anything else."  
  
She wasn't going to mention their mother, because it would only set him off.  
  
"Well, you have me now. Other than your tools - I realize you'll need them - is there anything here that belonged to mother?"  
  
Wataru shook her head. She no longer had her mother's bras. "I have a picture of me and her when I was little, and a painting." The violin had been her father's, after all. "And her shards."  
  
"Painting?" Taiga asked. "Well, we'll sell that, and...." He suddenly looked at the painting. "Wait, is that ancient Fangire?"  
  
"I wouldn't know." He seriously thought she would.  
  
"Song in a painting of the crimson moon." He was reading the weird text on the painting, the text that nobody she knew had been able to decipher.  
  
"My name." Oomura had reluctantly told her that. "Kivat told me it."  
  
"At least she didn't leave you nameless," Taiga said, as if in relief. "It's a beautiful name. I'll call you Song when we're alone, it's a better name than Wataru." He looked at the painting once more. "And we'll keep this, at least. The picture we can scan and save you. And mother... I know you're missing her, but it's time to let go."  
  
A piece of advice he should have applied to himself, he thought sourly.  
  
"Where are the remains?" he asked.  
  
"Buried," she said. She didn't want him to take them away. Oomura would take care of them for her.  
  
"Oh. I thought you mean in a container somewhere." He shook his head. "On the grounds?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good reason to get you away from here, then. Anything of his?"  
  
"Oomura-san's? I have some of his tools."  
  
"No, that _human_ mother fell for."  
  
"Oh." She shook her head. "The house is his. I have his violin case and his violin, but I'm more than happy to leave it here, Oomura-san can have it with the tools, or sell it if he wants. I'm not attached to it."  
  
Though to be honest, it was less "not attached to it" and more that the Bloody Rose - the violin that was practically her twin - had given her headaches for years when she touched it. Which, she supposed, was better than hearing it in her head like she had in her childhood. It had been a particularly discordant pizzicato, like it was telling her that something was wrong. She just had no idea what.  
  
At least with the headaches, it was just when she touched the violin. Come to think of that, her headaches had started after Mother died - before that, she could still hear it. She would be glad to see it gone.  
  
"Good." He leaned down and kissed her. "Don't worry, Wataru, we have long lives ahead of us."  
  
Or at least he did. She had other plans.


	6. Chapter 6

By the time they left the house, Taiga had scooped up an armful of clothes and called for a car. Wataru was glad he wasn't clinging onto her - she wasn't sure if she could stand that. Instead, he just watched her. 

The Elder seemed to be gone, for which she was extremely grateful. Kivat was sitting on her bike, and she glared at him. But she still went over and got her bag. 

The car soon came, and he made sure she was inside before getting in himself, as if he didn't trust her not to run. Kivat flew in too, and she was almost grateful for his presence. Taiga was giving instructions to the driver, and soon they were all off.

It was, surprisingly, a short trip. To a meadow. Which didn't make much sense.

Taiga shuffled her out of the car, handed her clothes back to her, and whistled. Suddenly, something emerged from the ground, a dragon-like thing with a castle on its back.

"Castle Dran," Taiga said, with a grin. She looked up, remembering the castle her mother had told her about in fairy tales, and suddenly realizing that her mother had basically described Dran to her, just in case. Somewhere behind her, Kivat was flapping his wings, but she didn't care.

The dragon blew a bubble, which floated down to them and enveloped them, and suddenly, they were both rising up in the air. They disappered into its mouth, and then everything was plunged into darkness for a moment before they appeared in a small room. Kivat wasn't with them, but she wouldn't be surprised if he could find his way in. "Kurosawa-san tells me that King and Queen kept seperate rooms, plus a bedroom."

"Kurosawa-san?" she asked. Hadn't her mother mentioned him somewhere? Oh yes, gone to guard the boy king. Apparently, he was as real as Taiga. "Your guardian?"

"Mother told you that?" Taiga asked, and she felt him tense.

"In a way. She told me the story of a boy king who had adventures, and his guardian, and the dragon castle. I didn't connect them with you until today."

"It figures. She treated me as myth." Taiga stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I suppose that I should be grateful."

He didn't sound like it.

"Tell me about Kurosawa-san. He's been your guardian? What happened to the three guardians of the dragon castle?" She could at least distract him, and maybe figure out how to get out of Dran.

"Oh, those." Taiga shrugged. "The last of three competing species. You didn't miss much. We took care of them years ago. I think there's some half-breed working as a servant here, just so she doesn't breed and continue the bloodline."

Wataru forced herself to remain calm. There was nothing that she could do at the moment.

A man entered through the door. "King," he said, bowing. "And this is...."

"My Queen, and half-sister, Wataru." Taiga suddenly pulled her into a hug.

The man scowled at that. "Are you sure, my lord? If your mother slept with that human...."

"He did, and that's how Wataru came about. Still, I'm sure she'll be the best Queen." Taiga was smiling at the man, who she almost hoped wasn't Kurosawa-san.

"I know my circumstances are unfortunate, but I'll do the job I was given." Well, at least as long as she lived. Killing a few Fangire was suddenly appealing. "People like me shouldn't happen."

"This is Kurosawa-san, Wataru," he said, waving a hand in the man's direction. "She needs to learn how to hunt, first, but I think she'll do good."

"Ah. Do you want me to teach her?" the man asked. He looked like he didn't know what to make of her, staring at her with a half-glare, half confused look.

"It's up to you, Wataru. I'd love to teach you, but Kurosawa's taught me a lot about hunting."

"Then I want to learn from him, because it'll help me in my work as Queen." It sounded like a perversely good idea.

"I will work with you at your convenience, my Queen," Kurosawa-san said, bowing.

"He's very motivated - wasn't it a great-grandparent of yours that was human?"

"From a mountain village, yes." Kurosawa spat the word out. "One of my great-grandmothers was trapped into marrying him. She fed on him, but she got pregnant as well."

"All of the people from that village got wiped out a few centuries ago," Taiga added. "And the area's now underwater thanks to Minakami Dam."

Wataru nodded. "As long as she wasn't in love." 

"From what I know, she was not," Kurosawa-san said, with a nod. "I would be happy to discuss this with you further, King, Queen, but Bishop waits in the Great Hall."

Bishop. Was he the same one? Probably so, with her luck. Taiga wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they followed Kurosawa-san into a wood-paneled room. The man who had killed her mother was sitting, drinking tea. Which seemed like an awfully civilized drink for someone who had murdered their Queen.

"Ah." Bishop stood up. "So, this is our new Queen." He peered at her over his spectacles. He was smiling, the same damn smile he'd given Taiga when he'd killed their mother.

"Yes, my little sister, Wataru." He gave her what was probably supposed to be a reassuring one-armed hug.

Bishop's smile seemed to fade a little. "Your little sister, you say? Then it is true. She did have a child by that... human. Unless of course she is your father's child."

"No, she's Mother's child." Taiga shook his head. "She had a guardian who attempted to correct what Mother did and raise her as proper Fangire, but he didn't think to come to us."

"A pity, then." Bishop looked at her appraisingly. "Do you know of Queen's duties?"

"Of course I do. Queen hunts down traitors who fall in love with humans." At least she knew that much. She could use it to disguise her true intentions.

"I'll be with her the first few times, and then I'm sure she'll be chasing traitors on her own." Taiga said. "We have to teach her to hunt, too. Mother refused to teach her, and her guardian couldn't."

She swore that Bishop's eyes narrowed a little. "It's a pity, then, that she wasn't found earlier. No matter."

And at that moment, she realized that she could kill him. She could do something she had been hoping for ever since her mother had died, she just had to find a way to justify it. And learn to use her powers. She surely had some, from being Queen and Fangire.

"I shall leave you to settle in." With that, Bishop got up and swept past them.

"I'll show you around Dran," Taiga said, and Wataru looked up at him. He smiled what was probably meant to be a reassuring smile. "I'm sure Bishop will have something to give you, soon."

The only thing he should be giving her was his death, but she was hardly going to say that out loud. In the meantime, at least she could start learning her way around. Knowledge was power, after all. And with knowledge and power, she could start killing those who despised her for what she was.

It was almost everything she'd wished for. Maybe she shouldn't starve herself to death. Maybe she should just kill Taiga instead.

Yes, that would work. She pondered how as he led her through hallways, showing off the various areas of the castle. In one room, there was a girl in a maid's outfit that Taiga ignored, who looked at her with hollow eyes.

"We'll go clothes shopping, anything you need, Wataru," Taiga enthused, as he finished their tour by stopping in their shared bedroom. "I'm sure we can buy anything you need to be comfortable."

"I might need to duplicate my tools. I'd still like to make violins. Oomura-san can sell them for me." Her tools could be used for other things, as well.

Taiga looked at her, and for a moment, she thought he was going to say no. "I suppose it's not going to hurt if you spend most of your time here. And you'll have me by your side; I know you'll come to love me just as much as I love you."

She doubted that, but she was willing to let him live with his delusions, for the moment. It wasn't like she could do anything, after all, not until she learned to use her powers and could figure out a way to end his life.

Even if another king came along, she wouldn't be their proper Queen. And that felt like the best revenge.

Wataru knew that the ones she'd be required to hunt would be the ones falling in love with humans, which meant the more sympathetic ones. Still, the best Fangire was a dead Fangire. Less Fangire meant less people like her.

Then she'd kill the rest. Starting with Taiga.

"Why don't you stay here, Wataru. I'll make sure your Kivat can get in so you have some company, and I'm sure there are people who like to see you. And in the meantime, I can make sure your wishes are carried out."

Wataru was pretty sure he didn't want to know what wishes she wanted carried out. If he did, she'd be dead. She was sure he meant he'd get her workshop transferred over to Oomura-san's care, and she hoped he would remember to ask Oomura-san about tools. Then she realized he might not think about that. "Be sure to ask Oomura-san about the tools I need."

His face darkened. "I'll make sure he's asked, Wataru." 

"Whatever you think of him, he's a good man and he tried his best." It was the only rebellion that she'd allow herself right now. 

She had to seem as reasonably pliable as possible so that Taiga wouldn't notice her scheming.

"He still should have brought you to someone so that we could grow up together."

Wataru shook her head. Oomura-san had surely saved her from a fate of brainwashing and being miserable. She could tell that Oomura-san had been right; if these people had found her, she'd have been forced to live in Dran, with people who hated her, forced to learn how to hunt, forced to be Fangire. In time, she might have accepted things as normal, just as that maid seemingly had.

Or maybe hadn't, but she wasn't going to go there.

"I know, I know." Taiga sighed. "You want to believe the best of him, Wataru, no matter what. I suppose I'd be the same way. I just wish that I could go back in time and fix things for you."

"Well, you can't." She'd hope that even if he could time travel that she could get away.

He stared at the ceiling for several long seconds. "Here, why don't you get settled in, Wataru. We'll find you a workshop or a sitting room or both - we have plenty of space. I have a room, too, but now that we're King and Queen, we might as well settle in here. I'll just rearrange my room to be some kind of study."

She nodded. It wasn't like she could do much else; until she found herself out of the situation it was going to be like how she always had survived, by pretending she was something she wasn't.

Taiga gave her a huge hug. "I'll be back, Wataru."

He walked swiftly out of the room and closed the door. Wataru tested it; it was unlocked. She wasn't sure what to do with the opulent bed, though something inside her was willing to suggest what she should do when Taiga got back.

Apparently, the whole sex bond didn't go away after King and Queen did it the first time. And until she found some contraceptives, she really shouldn't be having sex with Taiga. She wasn't ready to become a mother yet.

Especially a mother to her half-brother's child.

She sat down, wondering if she should go find a book in Castle Dran's library. At least somebody had enjoyed reading, somewhere along the way. Taiga had shown her the books that had been given to him during the time he was growing up - a scary amount were romance novels.

Wataru wondered if she should start reading them. They'd probably make Taiga easier to manipulate, if she could figure out his favorite themes. She'd done a ton of reading growing up, dreaming of adventures. After her mother had died, of course, she'd still loved books but not the adventures. Adventures were dangers, they allowed you to get into trouble.

She sat down on the bed, trying to remember where the library was. While she was thinking about it, the door opened and the maid came in. The girl looked up and seemed ready to withdraw until Wataru waved her in.

"What's your name?" she asked, as the girl moved to the bed to straighten up the covers.

"I'm just called 'Maid'." The girl spoke softly, almost in a monotone, like she'd forgotten everything but a dull chant in her life. 

"But before?" she wanted, desperately, to make a personal connection. To somebody. And this maid would probably be able to help her figure a way out of this mess.

"Aya." The maid was moving around, cleaning things up. As if the room really needed tidying.

"Aya. I'm Wataru." She didn't want to lose herself. 

"And you are Queen?" the girl asked. But it wasn't really curiosity, just a way to note who might be dangerous to her.

"Yes." There wasn't much she could do about that. "Taiga said you were a half-breed. Like me."

"That's what they tell me," Aya said.

"Tell me your story. Sit down for a moment."

The girl left off her cleaning with a sigh. Wataru made a mental note to defend Aya if somebody felt they needed to berate her or worse.

"I was born Outside," Aya said. "But Father brought me here when I was too little to remember, and he and the others raised me here. When I was a little girl, the Fangire got Dran, and Father and the others were gone. I've been here ever since, cleaning the rooms."

Wataru nodded. It sounded terrible, but what could she do for Aya? She couldn't do anything for herself. "Do you need Energy?" she asked, curious. She probably needed food, just like Wataru did.

"Bishop feeds me, or one of the others. I'm grateful that they will bother to do so, since I shouldn't exist. Sometimes they feed me food as well."

Wataru winced at the pain in the girl's voice, a painful note in the steady monotone, a reminder that these people really hated her and apparently Aya as well. "Do you want me to feed you?" she asked.

The girl, Aya, drew away. "No, my lady. I'll be fine."

"I meant food. I grew up on food myself. I couldn't feed you Energy if I tried."

"Thank you, my lady, but I think that would be too much." Aya stood up, and dully went back to cleaning the room. "Is there anything else you might need, my lady?"

Wataru wondered for a second if she could get Aya to take off her blouse. But no, that would be too demeaning to the maid. Besides, it bothered her to see anybody naked.

Except, as her mind flashed up a particularly vivid picture of Taiga, her King.

"No, thank you." They'd get used to each other. Maybe Aya would open up.

Aya bowed and finished cleaning the room, then leaving, closing the door behind her. Wataru realized after a moment that she hadn't remembered to ask Aya about the library.

She had one book of her own. She looked around, and was delighted to find a small bookshelf on one side of the bed, nearly hidden. The books were the kind her mother had loved when she had still been around; Wataru felt a pang as she remembered that her mother was long gone, and this was her mother's accidental legacy to her.

Eventually she was tired, and to her relief, Taiga didn't show up. Part of her thought that it would be nice to pounce on him; the rest of her was a little more practical. She took care of her own needs, slipping under the covers and almost immediately falling asleep.

* * *

Her limbs were heavy. Wataru struggled to keep her eyes from drooping as she could hear Kivat and Oomura-san arguing behind her. Some part of her realized that this had to be a dream, and almost-memory of what had happened. "I'm not sure that sending her to this human's a good idea, but maybe if she goes there, she'll forget." She could practically see Oomura-san shaking his head. "But she is Fangire, Kivat. I just... I don't feel comfortable leaving her there, among humans."

"It's for the best." Kivat's voice was low, almost drowned out by agitated wing-flaps. "The humans won't be able to affect the Obscurement."

Oomura-san was silent. The only sound was Kivat's flapping.

There was a sudden noise upstairs, and Oomura-san gave an incoherent yell. "Where's Wataru?" Taiga suddenly demanded, and Wataru froze. She'd somehow inserted him into the dream, as if she couldn't get rid of him. Maybe it had something to do with the bond.

"Um." Oomura sounded like he was trying to stall.

"I know she'll be here. She was raised here." Taiga's voice was cold. "And if you're not going to take her to where she needs to be, I'll take her myself."

Oomura-san was squeaking. Kivat flew down. "Wataru," he said quietly, "You need to leave. Go to the Mal d'Amour, it's down a dozen intersections from the market. You'll be safe."

She gave him a shaky nod. She didn't like him very much right at the moment, but in this dream, he was only trying to help her.

Grabbing the small pack her mother had always made sure she kept, she ran out of the house.

Taiga was wating for her, looming above her. "It looks like you're still brainwashed, even this young." He was full adult size, she judged, and she was still a small teenager. Even outside the dream, he was much taller than she was.

She just glared up at him.

"You'll be much happier at Dran, Wataru. You'll have me, and Kurosawa can teach you how to hunt. You won't have to be human."

He reached for her, offering her a hand to take. She ignored it.

"Sorry, Wataru, but you'll like it, you'll see." This time, he reached out to pick her up.

She bit the nearest outstretched hand, and ran as he cradled it. There was a small space that she could squeeze through easily, behind the house. She'd patched it up by her own time, but it was still there when she was thirteen. 

Running through the field, she remembered Kivat's directions. To the market. Then a dozen intersections and she'd be where Kivat had wanted her to go.

As she continued running, the dream faded to the point where she couldn't have said that she'd gone.

* * *

Taiga was sleeping beside her when she woke up the next morning, holding her like a teddy bear. She shifted, and he shifted, and opened his eyes. "Good morning, Wataru," he said cheerfully.

He got up, and she noticed one hand had blue marks in an arc. He looked down to where she was looking, and smiled. "I tried to fix things for you, Wataru, but it didn't work."

"Time Travel." She couldn't remember if Dran had time travel, but it suddenly made sense, this change in her memories. "I bit your hand."

"It's not a problem, Wataru," he said, waving the hand as if nothing was wrong with it. "You were just upset. I just wish I'd be able to fix this."

"I was a very upset thirteen year old." Taiga had tried to grab her and take her to Dran. She shivered.

"That's in the past," Taiga said, holding her close. "Now we should make a future. I'll work on your tools, and see if Bishop has a list. Even if you can't hunt humans yet, maybe you'll be able to hunt Fangire."

"I hope so." The more dead Fangire, the better.

Taiga would have no idea what would hit him someday.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter than normal, but I wanted to get this out before Yuletide went into full swing.

Taiga smiled at that. "Let me teach you how to assume True Form."

"True form. You mean our-"

"Our natural forms, Wataru. Whatever you were born with." She tried not to tense up. "Of course, that's gone now that you're Queen. You'll have Queen's form."

"Obscurement, remember?" Wataru reminded him. "I never assumed True form." She knew what they were, because Oomura-san and Kivat had explained it, and Oomura-san had even shown her his Fangire form.

"You were probably born in that form," Taiga said, his smile shifting to a concentrated frown. "You have royal ancestry."

She reminded herself that she had to stay on his good side until she could kill him and Bishop. Or kill herself, but the two of them sounded good at the moment. "Probably, but the only person who would know is dead now."

"Maybe. I'll do some checking. In the meantime, True form." He nodded, as if making a mental note. "Do you remember what mother looked like?"

"Yes?" Of course she remembered. It was burned into her memory and would never leave.

"Good. Concentrate on that." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You can do it, Wataru. I trust you."

His trust was severely misplaced, but he was right - this form would give her more power. She concentrated on changing into the form that she'd seen her mother change into.

She felt herself change, become more solid, slightly heavier. There was armor, she could tell from the feel.

"You're beautiful," Taiga breathed. She opened her eyes - well, it didn't feel like it, but she had - and looked at him. She could see the energy within him.

It would make it easier to kill him when the time came. "I am?"

"Here, look at yourself." He grabbed her arm in his excitement, swinging her over to a mirror.

"I'm orange!" she exclaimed. "It's... it's...."

"You're beautiful," Taiga repeated. He hugged her tightly, and she wondered how comfortable that had to be. Even if she wasn't as ridged on top as she was on the bottom, her skin was hard, ready for battle.

Yes, she liked this form, she decided. Even if the feeling was because, or partly because Taiga was holding her, she could learn to like this form. It was what she needed to get her revenge.

"It's wonderful, but... orange?"

"You probably didn't notice," Taiga said, "But you blush red and orange, so your form is strongly those colors. It depends on what your dominant colors are."

"But Oomura-san blushes rainbow." His form was green, but the blush - if she'd guessed correctly what it was - was all colors.

"Yes, but we're royal, and we blush in distinct colors." Taiga was nodding. "I don't know where the orange came from, though. Maybe your father had Fangire blood?"

"Taiga," she said, "My father fought Fangire."

"He was probably as ignorant as you were," Taiga said, as if to dismiss the whole thing. "All that matters is that he was of Fangire ancestry." He nodded to himself. "It could explain why Mother was attracted to him."

"Or maybe that he was a good man, regardless of ancestry." Her father couldn't be part Fangire. Her mother had loved him for him, not his ancestry.

"He took mother away from me and father." His words were cold, and Wataru was surprised there wasn't ice coming out. "The only good thing he did was to father you."

"Let's not argue." The more she seemed pliant, vulnerable, the less he'd expect she'd kill him. "It's, as you said, in the past. Does it matter how much blood he had?"

"You're right." Taiga was relaxing almost instantly. "He was probably ignorant, and at least I saved you." He gave her a bright smile. "You'll be fine."

Not knowing what to do, she took the hand with the bite marks. "I bit you hard." It didn't look like it, but she had. If he healed fast, she had problems.

"I've been healing from it, so it doesn't look so bad. I just wish I'd been able to catch you. You would have been much better off at Dran."

"Oomura-san had just told me I was Fangire. I wasn't taking it well." She hoped he didn't remember the part where he was talking about sending her to humans. She'd never gotten to the cafe, due to getting lost, and had eventually had to return home.

"He did tell you we were superior, right?" A look of confusion was crossing his face.

"He was a little befuddled at suddenly having to take care of me, and also I'd just seen my mother die." And really wanted to kill Taiga at that moment, had she not been so terribly scared. "I wasn't listening to much beyond that mom broke Fangire law having me. Oomura-san straightened me out later, but...."

She added the last, not wanting Taiga to get upset at Oomura-san. And she didn't think he'd believe her if she told him that both Oomura-san and Kivat had told her that she would reviled as a half-human Queen.

Taiga would probably not be too happy at Oomura-san if he found out that Oomura-san had never said anything about Fangire being superior.

"He still should have turned you over to someone who could make sure you got to Dran." There was a half-frown somewhere in there.

"He could have," Wataru said, "But I convinced him I'd run away if he told anybody about me." Not that he ever had, but he'd asked. And Oomura-san would have helped her.

"Why would you do that?" Taiga asked. He grabbed her hand unexpectedly.

"Because even though mom's violation of Fangire law didn't have to do with my birth, I got the impression that I might not be all that welcome." She'd have been dead if it hadn't been for Queen's power.

"Of course you would have been welcome, Wataru, you're the child of a Queen, no matter what." He was hugging her. "And you're my half-sister. My baby half-sister. If someone had wanted to kill you, they'd have had to go through me first."

Unless he'd been convinced that it was better for the Fangire people, of course. Which Bishop could easily convince him of. It wasn't like he hadn't been just standing there when Bishop executed their mother.

"Mother really did turn you against us, didn't she?" Taiga demanded. "She had you convinced that anyone connected with Dran was going to hurt you, when you were the best candidate for Queen."

Hurt her, maybe not. Make her life miserable, most probably. "Mom didn't tell me anything about my heritage. I had to ask Oomura-san and Kivat. It was Kivat who told me that I wouldn't be welcome in Dran."

"He should have known better. Apparently she poisoned his mind and he poisoned yours." He let her go. "It's in the past, now. This is a new beginning for you. Let go of their baggage."

That was much easier said than done, especially since it was true. She wasn't welcome among these people. She never would be.

And Taiga didn't understand, because Taiga thought the best of those around him. It made him incredibly easy to manipulate, but very frustrating for long-term survival.

She paused. Could she really forgive him? Become his Queen, as everybody had wanted? Could she become the best Queen ever?

"It's hard," she admitted. She'd still have to kill Bishop, she was sure, but Taiga had surely been brainwashed. She could turn him into somebody sympathetic to humans, given time.

And in the meantime, she could still reduce the number of Fangire. Even if it was the ones that fell in love.

Maybe she should start by teaching him to treat the maid, Aya, more humanely. Or Fangirely. Then she could go from there to getting him to understand humans.

She still didn't want to have kids with him, though.

"I know it is." Taiga gave her a sympathetic smile. "But you'll overcome it." He took her hand. "Stay in this form, walk around, get used to it. Next, you'll learn how to tell humans from Fangire."

"It's possible?" she asked.

"We can sense that people are human or Fangire by just looking at them, for the most part." Taiga looked at her. "For example, you'll be able to see Life Energy in humans, but not Fangire. A few bloodlines can see that in Fangire, too, but it's a rare trait, and they're mostly medical doctors."

It was? Why could she see his energy, then?

"You're frowning," Taiga said, and she had to wonder how he could tell.

"I just never could do that before," she said. "I had to guess." This could be immensely useful, if she could figure out ways to keep it from everybody and use it.

"Now that you're Queen," Taiga said, "You'll be able to do it easily."

She nodded. She didn't know how she'd be able to tell the difference between human and Fangire with the gift, but it would come in useful at some point, she was sure.

And if she could just sense Fangire, that would solve part of her problem. She didn't have to be able to tell the difference between human and Fangire energy, she just had to be able to sense Fangire.

"I'll walk around." It would make him happy while she figured out the whole thing. After all, she needed to know how to walk around in a form utterly foreign to her so that she could eventually kill at least Bishop.

She wondered if she had ever moved in a Fangire form before. Of course, she would have been a baby even then, so that she wouldn't have been able to walk.

"Good. I'm going to see Bishop and see what I can do to get you started as Queen." He kissed her, and her skin tingled where his lips touched her chin area.

Or was it a chin? She wasn't sure. It was kind of like a chin. It really didn't matter, because something down below was tensing. "Um."

She was going to really hate things if she was going to be required to have a lot of sex with Taiga. After all, he was her half-brother; why should she be sleeping with him?

He smiled. "Or would you rather do something else?" There was an invitation there that Wataru didn't want to answer.

"I... think I'd better walk around." She shouldn't have sex with him until she could get something that did birth control. 

"We could just go back to bed," Taiga invited, taking her hand. "I can show you a new, pleasurable way to have sex."

"Let's wait until I don't feel like I'm going to fall over in this form." She remembered how graceful her mother had been in the form so much like hers. 

"I'll wait." If reluctantly, she realized as she looked at him. He didn't want to, but he was willing to do this for her.

It was too bad his trust was misplaced, but she wasn't about to correct him.

She took a step forward. Another step. A third. Somehow, she felt that there should be something balancing her, like a tail. But she'd never had one.

Or had she, and she could just somehow remember? 

As she thought about that, she lost her balance and the floor rushed to meet her.

"Wataru? Wataru, are you all right?" Taiga asked, rushing forward to pick her up.

"I was expecting a tail," she said. It would make him happy, and it would help him understand why she was suddenly having balance problems.

"Here, let's get you to the bed," he said, and she let him pick her up, shimmering back to her human form as he did so.

"I'll be fine. I just must be used to a different balance, that's all."

"Your original true form had a tail," Taiga said, his eyes lighting up in delight. "And you remember it somehow."

She let him put her down on the bed, and stretched out her arms, mostly to keep him sitting by her. But there was another reason as well. "I had wings, too."

"Flying dinosaur of some kind," Taiga said, reaching out as if to pick her up again. "Mother tied you down, kept you from flying."

"I don't think I could have," she said cautiously. People couldn't fly, after all. "Even before. I lost that form when I was a baby."

"You probably had it until a few days ago, you just couldn't access it." Taiga was nodding. "Don't worry, Wataru, I'll find a way to give you the flight you lost when mother bound you to human form."

She wished she could tell him that she didn't care, but she had to wonder if she really could have flown when she was little.

Still, it was better to be safe in the nest than fly and be killed.

"You don't have to learn how to move in your new form right now," Taiga invited. "We could do other things."

Wataru sighed. "If I can't move about in True Form, I'm vulnerable. And you can't protect me forever, big brother."

Best to remind him of that before he got any ideas.

"Okay. I'll help you learn how to walk again and then we'll get back to bed." His mind seemed to be on a single track, and she hoped she'd get out of it. "One, two, three... up."

She shimmered into her other form again, knowing that it was better to learn how to walk than to get into bed. Taiga hovered nearby as she figured out her balance, as if she was wearing a very heavy suit instead of hard skin. She was sure she'd learn all of it eventually. She just wanted to do it before she got killed.


End file.
